Plastic Promises
by emodinosaurX3
Summary: Claude Sterling can't keep a promise.  He can't even keep the promise he made with Alexander after he was turned to a full vampire to not harm anyone with his powers. Too bad his plastic promises will catch up to him one day, in the worst possible way.
1. Chapter O1

**_Vampire Kisses fanfiction  
PLASTIC PROMISES  
_Claude Sterling/OC: Madeline Torrent  


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**

**Chapter 01.  


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**

The black sky blanketed the busy downtown streets of what a frequent tourist liked to call "Hipsterville." Tall buildings shielded the streets from the twinkling stars, but the large moon still found a way to shed its light down on the crowded streets. Hipsterville was bustling with many different night owls, either on business or seeking entertainment. Neon open signs and bright street lamps lit the roads while city slickers strutted the sidewalks.

Four dark figures hid away in an alley, watching the human night owls. Each one licked their lips at the appetizing sight of the crowds of humans.

"Finding one to your liking?" asked one of the figures to their leader. He peered over his glasses to gaze at the lip-ringed vampire.

"They all are appetizing," he replied with a grin, now running his tongue over his fangs. "Perhaps one or two would do it for me."

"I'm so thirsty I can drain a whole pool full of humans," grumbled the only female of the group, filing her long black nails and examining them.

"It's alright, babe. We'll get you something to eat," gushed her brawny boyfriend.

Claude Sterling stepped into the moonlight, crossing his arms and eyeing passers-by. His vinyl jacket shined in the light, his lip ring glistening. He was strapping in a torn metal band t-shirt, red skinny jeans, and combat boots, at least to any goth girl he was. His hair blew in the light gusts of wind, the natural black color streaking through the dyed blonde from his roots. He charmed poseur vamp chicks with his cunning smile and dark brown orbs.

Kat came up from behind him, her arms also crossed. With a pixie cut hairstyle and a dead fairylike dress, she appeared sultry and seductive. That wasn't all she was though. Kat was practically as dangerous as the white-haired, mismatching-eyed Jagger Maxwell. She was also Claude's right-hand girl.

Rocco came into view immediately afterwards, as is large arms were secured around his girlfriend's tiny waist. His dark shaggy hair was topped with a black knit cap, and he donned a tight shirt that exposed his build and torn skinny jeans.

Tripp followed up the rear in his white button-down shirt and black tie ensemble. He pulled his glasses down further on the bridge of his nose while techno punk music blasted from his iPod.

"Ready for a night of hunting, gentlemen?" announced Claude, taking a deep breath. Kat cleared her throat. "Sorry. And lady?"

"Let's just get something to eat," said Kat with an eye roll. They stepped out into the street and began stalking.

They caught a couple of mindless wanderers and fed. It had been a year since Claude's goody-two-shoe cousin Alexander had given them the vampire blood to make him and his gang full vampires. Before Alexander had given him the small bottle, he made Claude promise that he wouldn't hurt anybody with his new powers. Alexander wanted Claude to become a "true" Sterling. The Sterlings were the nicest and harmless vampires, and they were all full-blooded. If Claude wanted to become a full vampire too, he'd have to go by the Sterling rules. Claude had agreed and shared the blood amongst his friends.

But ever since Claude and his gang had become full vampires, they've had nothing but cravings for fresh blood, exactly what Alexander had not wanted. They lasted perhaps a couple of months before beginning to hunt humans to feed on.

Claude knew that Alexander would catch them, so he and his friends flew to the next town over, Hipsterville. The downtown location was perfect for the nightly crew as there were many of snacks they could choose from that wandered the night. Unlike Raven's town ("Dullsville", she called it), nobody slept during the night in Hipsterville.

They walked down the street further down town. After all that they'd drank, they needed to walk it all off. The streets down here were becoming less busy and the some of the street lamps were buzzed out. Not so many neon signs brightened the way, either, but it didn't really matter because the moon shone much brighter on this side of Hipsterville. And it really helped that their vision was so clear in the dark.

The crew lingered around another alley to relax.

"I'm surprised your cousin hasn't come to chew us out about abusing our powers," said Kat, examining her nails again. Rocco scoffed.

"He's probably too busy with his gothic Playboy girl," Rocco said. Tripp snickered, but Claude merely shook his head.

"Nah. Alexander's not like that. He's too sissy to go that far out of wedlock," he said.

"So true," muttered Kat with an eye roll. "Alexander may be gorgeous, but he's too uptight. He seriously needs to learn how to let loose." Rocco narrowed his eyes. The memory of his current girlfriend and Alexander being together made his edgy.

"That's why you're not dating him now," said Rocco, pressing Kat close to him. She grinned and laid her head on his chest, looking up at him.

"I know."

"Gag much. TMR," said Tripp, pulling out his high-tech cell phone to text.

"TMR?" Rocco repeated.

"Too much romance," explained Tripp. Kat rolled her eyes.

"Leave the chat speech to your cell phone, Tripp."

Claude was too busy watching a particular building to input anything on the others' conversation. He'd seen something stir through one of the windows. It wasn't a tall building; perhaps one story with a high ceiling or two stories. He was curious as to know who would be out here all the way at the end of Hipsterville. Were they alone? Were they human?

Suddenly, the figure walked out through the glass doors and began walking their directions. A smile played on Claude's pierced lips.

"Hey guys, ready for dessert?" he asked coyly. Kat, Rocco, and Tripp immediately stopped chatting and followed Claude's gaze. Their eyes landed on a girl, thin and curvy with long black hair and dark blue eyes. She's was miles away, but their much improved eyesight helped distinguish her features from afar. Tripp licked his lips.

"You always find the best ones, Claude," he complimented. Claude's grinned turn to mischief as he too ran his tongue over his lips, grazing his lip ring.

"Changed my mind. This one's for me," he said softly. Kat glared.

"You included us all to feed from her. Why are you being so selfish?" she sneered.

"Can it, Kat. You're capable of finding your own prey," Claude snapped. Rocco glared.

"Back off, Claude," he growled. Claude glared back.

"Going to beat me up, Rocco? You do remember what happened last time you all tried attacking me," Claude reminded. Rocco stepped back and breathed heavily through his nose. Claude didn't even take one last look at his disappointed friends as he slinked through the dark towards his new snack. A little charm should do the trick. Have her fall for him then take a bite. That was the way to feed.

Claude reappeared leaning against a wall more near where the girl was. He wondered why she was walking alone, especially at night. He noticed her forehead glistened with sweat, her black hair pulled up into a messy ponytail and her side bands pinned up out of her face. She was dressed in what looked like exercising clothes. Was the building she'd come out of a gym?

He grinned at her when she looked his way. She really was beautiful, even covered in perspiration. Her blue eyes were big and she had the cutest little nose. He liked how her ears were decorated with studs and small hoops. He was definitely a piercings kind of guy. But the more he looked at her, the more he realized he didn't want to drink from her, only he couldn't figure out why. His grin gradually began to drop. The girl looked at him curiously as she passed him and Claude felt a sinking feeling in his gut. When he returned to the alley, Kat exploded on him.

"So you point out a lonely human walking about and suggest we drink from her. Then you decide to get greedy and keep her for yourself. And then you just let said human walk away without so much as baring your fangs at her. What in the world is _wrong_ with you?" she exclaimed, throwing her hands in the air and getting up in his face. Rocco had to pull back on her arms before she bit Claude's face off.

"I decided I wasn't hungry anymore," Claude said sheepishly. Kat only growled at him.

"That's so pathetic! Why couldn't you just share?" she exclaimed. Claude glared at her.

"Drop it, Kat," he hissed, baring his fangs at her. He was suddenly inches from her face, his eyes piercing hers. Kat rolled her eyes and stormed off up the street. Rocco followed her fast on her heels, glancing back at Claude, but not with a glare. Tripp sighed and pushed his glasses up.

"She'll get over it," he said.

"I know. She's probably PMS-ing," scoffed Claude, crossing his arms.

He soon drifted off into thought of the girl he was about to feed on. Why had he found her so captivating? She wasn't anything like him. Other than the mass selection of ear piercings, she was just a regular girl. No heavy make-up, no dark clothing, no gothic tattoos. And she was human. That was the big part. However it wasn't his first time falling for a human. He'd been attracted to his cousin's girlfriend back when he had been searching for the blood vials of his baroness grandmother. But even then he didn't exactly have feelings for Raven. She was cute and he wouldn't mind biting her as a fling, but not for eternity. But when he looked at that girl, there was something about her that made his heart beat rapidly.

Claude closed his eyes tightly and pressed his palm to his forehead, tangling his fingers through his hair. He couldn't get her face out of his mind! Why couldn't she disappear? She was just a human, a blood bag, a _snack_.

"Claude?" Tripp's puzzled voice tore Claude from his mental images of the unnamed girl, but he could still see flashes of her curious blue eyes. He shook his head and turned to his friend.

"I'm fine. Let's go somewhere busy, like that club up the street," Claude suggested. Tripp grinned.

"Good idea. The Dungeon is a good spot for kids like us," he said. Claude nodded in agreement and they started up the hill after Rocco and Kat, the girl with the big blue eyes never leaving Claude's mind once.


	2. Chapter O2

**_Vampire Kisses fanfiction  
PLASTIC PROMISES  
_Claude Sterling/OC: Madeline Torrent  


* * *

**

**Chapter 02.  


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**

The club was pounding with heavy metal music. Teen vamps danced together in the middle of a graveyard-looking dance floor, banging their heads and pumping their fists in the air. The room was pitch black, save for the strobe lights that would have blinded any human, and there was a thick fog that snaked the floor around clubbers' feet.

Claude and Tripp entered the Dungeon, peering around for Kat and Rocco. Ever since the two had hooked up they'd wanted nothing but to be alone and make-out for all of eternity. Claude and Tripp were fine leaving them alone, as they didn't want to witness their tongues all over each other. After glancing the club over without any sign of their feline friend and her brawny mate, they decided to head over to one of the lounge caves, at least one that wasn't occupied with snogging vampires.

"I'm curious, Claude," piped Tripp when they settled onto two black sofas across from each other. A dusty dark wood coffee table with a lit candelabra separated them. "Why _did _you let the girl go?"

Claude's dark eyes drifted away from his techie friend and spread his arms across the back of the sofa. "Like I said, I wasn't hungry."

"You wanted her for yourself," Tripp reminded, arching an eyebrow. "We killed enough humans tonight, I figured," lied Claude, flipping his bangs out of his face, keeping a straight face. Tripp looked at him skeptically.

"Claude, ever since we became full vampires all you've ever thought about is feeding. What's really on your mind? Why didn't you drink from the girl?" Tripp interrogated. Claude glared as he glanced away. Damn he was good. Tripp was smart; really smart. He had the ability to instantly see right through you and your lies. Luckily only he had that ability and the others didn't. Then Claude would be spilling his embarrassing secret to everybody else. Fortunately Claude was able to tell Tripp secrets. Unless you were a drop-dead gorgeous girl (or any girl, in fact, who wasn't Kat), it'd take a lot to get a secret out of Tripp.

"All right. Fine," grumbled Claude with an eye roll. Tripp grinned triumphantly and leaned in, taking one of his earphones out of his ears.

"It's really weird," Claude started. "That girl _did_ something to me to not make me want to bite her."

"Like she put a spell on you?" Tripp asked.

"That's ridiculous! She wasn't a vampire. Only vampires could put humans under spells," Claude ranted, drifting away from the subject. But Tripp cleared his throat and Claude returned. "No she was definitely human, but something about her made me not want to drain her."

"Perhaps you thought her blood smelled bad."

"Are you kidding? She was delicious! You smelled her. I could drink bodies and bodies of her blood all day. Her blood was captivating but …" He faded as he stared, baffled, in front of him. What _was_ it that made him not want to drink from her.

_No way in hell I'm in love with a human,_ he told himself. He didn't even know the girl's name, or if he'd ever see her again.

_But it would be nice just to see her again. Just one more time._

He shook his head. No. No, no, no. He wasn't going through this. Clenching his teeth and running his fingers through his hair, he looked down at the ground, eyebrows furrowed. What the hell was wrong with him?

_Just who the hell is that girl?_

"Claude!"

Tripp's voice sliced through his manic thoughts. Claude tore his eyes from the ground and looked through Tripp's lenses. Tripp looked almost concerned as he did puzzled about Claude's behavior. Since when did Claude Sterling ever _freak out_?

"Could you just tell me what's going on? You're acting really, _really_ weird," he said.

Claude sighed heavily. Might as well tell him. He'd already seen him go through a phase.

"When I looked at her face, something … inside of me stirred like crazy. My stomach did these weird flip-flops, my heart was beating like a jackrabbit. Tripp, please _do not_ tell me I'm developing feelings for a girl who's considered my _snack_," Claude pleaded. Tripp stared at his desperate friend for a long time. Oh it was _so_ obvious.

Tripp snickered and Claude glared at him, feeling his face turn hot. _I better not be blushing!_ Claude snarled inside his mind.

"What?" he snapped.

"It's so obvious," Tripp said. "You totally dig the human girl."

"_No!_ I don't! I don't know what the hell is wrong with me, but I don't like her!" exclaimed Claude, throwing his arms in the air. His eyes were wide like a madman and his teeth were bared. A couple seconds later, Kat and Rocco walked into the lounge cave.

"What's wrong with you?" asked Kat with a strange look on her face.

"You look as if somebody stole your entire collection of Disturbed CDs," chuckled Rocco.

"It's nothing," Claude suddenly said, shaking his head and combing his fingers through his bangs. His face returned to normal and he leaned back on the sofa, crossing a leg over his knee and spreading his arms across the back again. Kat and Rocco exchanged strange looks and peered at Tripp, who stuck his earphone back into his ear and bobbed his head to the music.

"Well, you guys have officially gone from weird to weirder," Kat said and sat down next to Claude. She made room from Rocco by scooting especially close to Claude, who grumbled and squeezed into the corner of the sofa and the arm.

"Where have you two been?" asked Tripp, who began scrolling through songs on his iPod. Kat and Rocco both smiled coyly.

"You don't wanna know," Rocco said and Kat giggled, wrapping her arms around his middle. Kat wasn't a giggler, so it was strange to Claude and Tripp to hear such a sound from her. Being with Rocco really brought out new characteristics from her.

"Probably not," scoffed Claude. Kat rolled her eyes.

"What the hell is killing your mood? You used to be a lot more fun," she spat.

"Well sorry for being such a buzz kill!" Claude sneered back.

"Guys, guys," Rocco interrupted, preventing any violence from happening between the two. "Why are you fighting? You two are friends. If this is still because of the human girl, let it rest."

Claude rolled his eyes and stood from the sofa. "You know what? I'm going to get some fresh air," he sneered and stomped away, pushing through the crowds of moshing vampires. When he made his way passed the vampire bouncer, he raced through the hallway, eyes narrowed in a fierce glare, still trying to get that damn image of the blue-eyed human girl out of his mind.

_Tripp is _wrong_! What the hell does _he _know about love anyway? He freezes up whenever he tries talking to a _girl_!_

Claude knew that whatever he thought of his friends he didn't mean. He'd never tease Tripp about his shyness around attractive girls. But he absolutely refused to believe what he'd said. Claude was not _digging_ the human girl. No way.

When he made it outside, he leaned against the side of the Coffin Club building, the club where the mortal goths hung out. The cool air was refreshing for him. Claude sighed heavily and ran his hand through his hair. The image hadn't left. Why hadn't it left?

"I won't accept that I like her. I don't even _know_ her!" Claude exclaimed aloud to himself.

He partially regretted confessing to Tripp, only because he didn't like his response.

"Tripp's not going to blab. Tripp _better not_ blab," Claude mumbled. He knew he wouldn't anyway, not unless Claude had told him to.

"I'm probably just fazed by her looks," Claude said to himself. "I'm not going to lie to myself; she was pretty hot. Her eyes were gorgeous."

So was everything else about her. The unnamed blue-eyed girl was adorable. And her blood smelled so wonderful. Claude sighed again as his eyes drifted to the black sky. He licked his lips and slightly smiled.

"Her blood smelled _so_ good," he whispered.

But if her blood smelled so good, why couldn't drink from her? He'd fed on pretty girls before, why was she any different?

"_It's so obvious. You totally dig the human girl."_

Had Claude sounded too defensive for Tripp to come up with that conclusion? Well, Tripp _was_ wrong. Claude did not dig the human girl. Claude thought it was strange that when he looked at her he decided he didn't want to drink from her, even though her blood smelled delectable, but he did not _dig_ her.

But with all honesty, he wasn't sure what he felt for her.


	3. Chapter O3

**_Vampire Kisses fanfiction  
PLASTIC PROMISES  
_Claude Sterling/OC: Madeline Torrent  


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**

**Chapter 03.  


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**

Maddie Torrent slung her book bag over her shoulder as she withdrew her math book from her locker. She just wished for the day to be over already so she could head down to the dance studio to continue her workout from last night. Speaking of last night, Maddie recalled the very odd fellow trying to hit on her when she was leaving the studio. She thought it sort of awkward that he was all smiley one second, and then puzzled another, like she'd just grown a second head. Maddie's eyes narrowed as she remembered the boy's face.

_That was just … so _weird_._

She shook her head to rid the thought. Well, he was handsome, in a dark and morbid sort of way. He was donned in dark clothing, except for his torn red skinny jeans, but even those still sported some gothic touch. His waists were wrapped with multiple stud belts and chains. She did like his lip ring, though. Maddie was a fan of piercings. Both her ears were filled with studs and tiny hoops.

_Well, at least I won't see awkward hot goth guy again,_ thought Maddie as she shut her locker. When she turned, she suddenly met with the handsome grinning face of Travis Mitchell, the star baseball player.

"Heya, Maddie!" exclaimed Travis, leaning with his elbow on the locker next to hers, his eyebrows narrowed with a coy smile. His face was written in bold with the word _mischief_ every single time Maddie saw Travis. Just because he was handsome and a baseball star didn't mean he was a great friend. Travis Mitchell was nothing but a pest to Maddie and he was always up to no good.

Maddie rolled her eyebrows and sighed heavily. "What do you want, baseball boob?" Travis scoffed and rolled his own baby blue eyes.

"Baseball boob? That's not very nice, Monster Maddie. Didn't your parents ever teach you any manners? Oops, I mean, _parent_. Which strip club will I find your daddy at tonight?" Travis teased cruelly. Maddie glared and clenched her fingers into a tight fist. Travis Mitchell knew better than to talk smack about Maddie and her family, especially her absent father. When she was just seven years old, her father had left her mother to become a sick alcoholic and was constantly found in bars and strip clubs. It made her gut twist just thinking about how awful her father was for doing that. After all, they'd been fine and happy, at least she thought so, and her sister Melinda was only one year old. Her father had left her mother to raise the two young girls all alone.

"You better shut your mouth before I make sure you never become a father," Maddie snarled. Travis rose his hands defensively in front of him.

"Whoa, whoa. No need to get violent."

"Now's a totally good time to get violent. You damn well know better than to talk about my dad. Or do I need to remind you what happens when I hear somebody mention him?" She raised her fist nose-level to Travis while he stared it down, slightly fearing her punching the lights out of him.

"Madeline. Put your fist down and step away from Mr. Mitchell," boomed a deep voice behind her. Maddie turned around and came face to chest with tall Mr. Bruner, the principal. His bald head shined underneath the fluorescent lights and his beady eyes glared down at her. Maddie didn't normally get into trouble; she was actually a good student. However, when Travis Mitchell was around, she had the tendency to lose her cool.

"Sorry, Mr. Bruner," Maddie muttered and lowered her fist, unfolding it when it fell to her side. Mr. Bruner eyed her carefully before strutting off.

"Jeez. And all I wanted to ask is if you wanted to join me in watching my cousin's soccer match at his school tonight. I can finally introduce you as my girl," he teased, leaning over to wrap an arm around her shoulders. She immediately shrugged it off.

"Get off! And I don't even like soccer. What would I want to go, especially with you?" she sneered. Travis placed a hand over his heart and dropped his jaw, pretending to be offended.

"Ouch, Maddie. You broke my heart!"

"Oh shut up," she said with an eye roll and walked to her next class. However, Travis wouldn't give up. He followed her like a puppy, hot on her heals, continuing his annoying pick-up lines. Unfortunately, he had Maddie's next class too.

"How come I can never get away from you?" asked Maddie, clearly annoyed and glaring at the baseball boob. "You know, people are going to start questioning if the popular baseball star is crushing on 'Monster Maddie.'"

Travis scoffed and rolled his eyes. "Please. They know I'm kidding. Besides, why would I want to date the school weirdo when I could just on the spot get any other girl I want?" Maddie rolled her eyes again.

"You just said you wanted to introduce me as your girlfriend to your cousin," she reminded.

"I was kidding. Can't you take a hint?"

This was typical Travis. One minute he was flirty and teasing, the next he becomes his true-form: grade-A jerk. Maddie wished that he could just tease another girl for once, rather than having to endure his torment alone. Besides, she honestly couldn't understand what made her stand out from the rest. School weirdo? There were plenty of other kids who were a lot weirder than herself. The goth kids were kind of creepy, but they were still nice, she knew. Maddie was found to be friendly with any clique, other than the jocks. Hipsterville High was filled with all kinds of kids; artists, goths, jocks, preps, and dancers, like herself.

Except, Maddie was the only person she knew in her school who was as serious about dancing as she was. The others even remotely close were the cheerleaders, but all they did was jump around and do cartwheels, waving their pompoms in the air and squealing like fan girls.

"Anyway, I can't go to your cousin's soccer match; I'm going to the studio to dance," Maddie said, approaching her class. Travis scoffed.

"_Dance?_ Jeez, you'll find more excitement at a funeral than dancing. You'd pass up a soccer game to _dance_?" Maddie turned around and glared at him. His face was so taunting, she wanted to slap it off of him.

"You disrespect my family, and _then_ my passion? Oh you're lucky we're already here at the door or I'd cut your throat," Maddie threatened. Travis merely laughed.

"Oh please. Going to twirl around with the knife?" He mocked her by standing on his tippy-toes and twirling around, hands over his head with his fingertips touching, like a ballerina. He looked like a complete idiot, Maddie knew, but Travis's title was too great to be harmed by doing something as embarrassing as that. Being king of the school and baseball star had its advantages.

Maddie rolled her eyes and opened the door to her math class, Travis chortling behind her.

_Oh make him stop. Just drop dead. Please!_ she thought in her mind as she took her seat near the front of the class. Their math teacher, Ms. Hathaway, eyed Travis curiously.

"Had a good passing period, I suspect, Mr. Mitchell?" she asked, picking up her attendance folder to get ready for role call.

"As always, Ms. H," Travis replied, wiping his eyes. Maddie sneered at him and rolled her eyes.

_Just three more classes to go._

_

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_

When the school bell rang, Maddie quickly rushed out of her classroom, after copying down her biology homework off the board, and pushed the doors of the school building open, relinquishing her freedom from Travis Mitchell. She hurriedly walked away from the school property before Travis could spot her and speed down in his fancy BMW to continue his teasing.

Maddie's home wasn't too much further from the school. She walked to and from it everyday without any complaining. Maddie loved the exercise; it helped her train for her dancing.

"I'm home," she announced to the empty apartment complex. She dropped her book bag on the battered blue sofa and walked into the tiny kitchen to look inside the refrigerator. Melinda's school wouldn't let out for another hour and would be coming home on the afternoon bus. Her mother would be at work at the diner until seven at night. Maddie had just enough time to quickly finish her homework and dart down the dance studio. She probably wouldn't see her family until late.

After grabbing an energy drink from the refrigerator and snatching a peach from the fruit basket, Maddie reached over the sofa and grabbed her book bag, dragging it to the bedroom she shared with her sister. It was true that Maddie wasn't the richest person at her school, definitely no where near Travis Mitchell, that was for sure. They were barely scraping by with what they had, her mom occasionally having to work double-shifts some days. It was the main reason why Maddie couldn't ever get the dance lessons she dreamed of, because they never had money. And being a single mother didn't make it any easier, then again, Maddie knew her father wouldn't have been much help either.

She placed the energy drink on the small white nightstand that separated hers and her sister's bed, and then belly flopped on her creaky bed. Pictures of The Fray, Onerepublic, and Jason Mraz covered her side of the room, a small calendar of contemporary dancers above her bed. Her room was small enough, but the two small twin beds took up most of the room, which made it appear even smaller. They shared a small closet in the back of the room, which was filled with clothes mainly from second-hand stores and thrift shops. Maddie and Melinda didn't mind though; they knew times were tough, and they were very understanding of their situation.

Around three o'clock, Maddie closed her giant math textbook and stacked it on top of her other school books. She was finally finished with homework.

_Finally, I can go dance,_ she thought with relief. She walked over to the dresser stashed inside the closet and pulled out a pair of black leggings. She pulled a thin white v-neck from a hanger and changed into her dancing clothes. As she was pulling her black hair into a ponytail, she heard the door open and close. Melinda was home.

"Hey, Mel," Maddie called from her bedroom. Melinda walked over to their bedroom and poked her head inside. She was the younger version of Maddie, same black hair, same blue eyes, and same dainty nose. The only difference between the two was that Melinda sported freckles over the bridge of her nose and cheeks, and she was _not_ a dancer. Melinda was more into science, ecology mostly. She loved animals and already knew she wanted to be a veterinarian when she grew up.

"Did you feed Halo? Where is she?" Melinda asked, looking around the room. She dropped her backpack onto her bed. Maddie shrugged.

"Dunno. I haven't seen her. Maybe she's wandering around on the fire escape," she suggested, peering out the window for the white kitten.

"The fire escape? No! She's just a baby. She can't be out there!" Melinda exclaimed, and then dashed out of the room.

Once Melinda was gone, Maddie noticed a rustle underneath her bed. She slumped her shoulders and knelt down to see Halo the white kitten tangled in Maddie's sheets.

"Halo …" she groaned. She helped the kitten out of the sheets, holding her in the palm of her hand. Halo gently pawed Maddie's hand, and Maddie couldn't help but smile. The kitten _was_ cute.

"Maddie, she's not out — Jeez Louise, Halo! You almost gave me a heart attack!" Melinda exclaimed and took Halo from Maddie's hands.

"You better watch over your animals more carefully. And you want to be an animal doctor," scoffed Maddie jokingly. Melinda scowled and took the kitten out of the room, scolding the kitten, and then later cooing at it. Maddie chuckled and rolled her eyes, then snatched her tote bag and headed for the door.

"I'm going to be at the studio. I'll be back later," Maddie called and then left.

* * *

Maddie wiped her forehead with the wash cloth she'd brought and took a drink from her water bottle. Evanescence continued to serenade from the studio's radio as Maddie took a break from her dancing. It was nearly eight now. It was about time to pack up and start heading home.

"Wouldn't it be weird if I saw that strange guy again?" she asked aloud to herself, then scoffed. Hipsterville was huge. It wasn't likely she'd run into him again, unless they were rendezvousing. She stopped the radio and took her CD out of the player. She locked up and walked out of the studio.

The old street lights blinked as she walked up the hill. Hopefully her mother had brought home some leftovers from the diner for dinner. A chicken potpie sounding appetizing. Suddenly, her stomach grumbled and her hand flew over it, as if it would silence the noise.

"Aw man," she groaned. "I'm starved."

She passed an alleyway where she suddenly saw a flash of movement in the darkness out of the corner of her eye. She stopped in her tracks, eyes wide with fear. Gulping, she shook her head and thought nothing of it.

_Oh come on, Maddie. Don't even think about getting scared. It was probably a possum in the dumpster._

She took a heavy breath and nodded in agreement to her thoughts and continued walking. But she couldn't shake the sensation that somebody could be following her.

She looked around her. That was odd. She'd passed the place where she'd run into that weird guy with the lip ring.

"It's a coincidence," she muttered angrily to herself. "Quit being such a coward!"

Suddenly, she heard a twig snap and she spun around, biting her lip, eyes wide. Nothing was there.

Another loud grumble from her stomach.

"I've got to get home," she sighed. "I'm hungry. That's it."

"_You're_ hungry?" said a wry voice from behind her. A chill ran down Maddie's spine as she slowly turned her head. Her blue eyes widened to the size of dinner plates. "I'm _famished_," smirked the hot goth guy with the lip ring, licking his lips and exposing two pointed fangs.


	4. Chapter O4

**_Vampire Kisses fanfiction  
PLASTIC PROMISES  
_Claude Sterling/OC: Madeline Torrent  


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**

**Chapter 04.**

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Claude grinned mischievously at the black-haired girl. Surprisingly, he'd caught her scent again. The annoying panging in his heart that he'd put up with the night before needed to stop. The only way he'd be able to do it is if he'd just kill her. She was alone, they were alone, the area was dark … nobody would find her. Who cared if she had a family? Claude was sick of Tripp's words echoing in his mind.

"_You totally dig the human chick."_

_No I don't!_

"Well, well, we meet again," he chimed, folding the cuffs of his vinyl jacket, exposing flame tattoos that wrapped around his wrists. Dressed in black skinny jeans, combat boots, and a ripped mesh shirt, Claude had just come from clubbing at the Dungeon. Now he was hungry.

"Who the heck are you, you creep?" the human girl exclaimed. Claude narrowed his eyebrows and bared his teeth at the name.

"Creep?" he repeated.

"Yeah," said the human girl with a sort of _duh_ tone. "This is the second time you've come up to me, and now you're flashing fangs at me like you want to eat me! I've had the feeling somebody's been following me for the past block now. Are you stalking me?"

Claude was taken aback by the girl's sudden change of attitude. Just a minute ago, she was staring at him like a deer in the headlights. Now she'd suddenly turned brave and was interrogating him with questions of stalking her.

He snarled and quickly reached for her wrist, grasping it tightly. The human girl let out a piercing scream that could easily be heard within twenty miles of the area. Claude glared and covered her mouth with his spare hand. He began to drag her into the nearby alley. Just one bite and she'd be silent … forever.

The girl wouldn't stop screaming and began to hyperventilate in his arms. Her beautiful blue eyes were wide with fright. She struggled in his grasp, but to no effect. Claude's grip was too strong for her mere human struggles.

"Won't you just _shut up_? I've never met anyone more annoying!" Claude hissed. The girl glared up at him. And then, with all of her might, she bit his hand.

Claude felt a tiny pinch on his fingers and looked down curiously at her. "What are you doing?" he sneered and slapped her. That shut the human up. She blinked numerously, baffled from the strike, and Claude pushed her down against the brick wall of the alleyway. There was no letting her go now. When he looked down at her again, he noticed tears pooling at the edges of her eyes.

"Please," she whimpered. "Please. Don't … Just let me go! What do you want? Please don't rape me …."

Claude, once again, was taken aback by her pleas. Rape her? Claude shuddered. He couldn't even fathom anything of the sort. He knelt down to her height, closing the space between them so she couldn't escape. The human girl peered into Claude's dark eyes with fright.

"You're just a kid, like me," she murmured. "Why would you do this?"

"Believe me, I have no intention of _raping_ _you_," he said. He eyed her jugular, the scent of her blood intoxicating him. It was so fresh; had he damaged her? Was there an open wound anywhere on her body?

The human girl folded herself in against the wall. There Claude saw it; her palms and knees scraped through her torn leggings from when he'd pushed her. Something seemed to glisten in her black hair as well. Had she smacked her head against the wall during her fall?

"What do you want?" she pleaded again. "Why are you doing this?"

"Because I'm _hungry_!" Claude exclaimed. The human girl widened her eyes.

"You're going to _eat me_?" she screeched.

What was taking him so long? Before he knew it, Kat, Tripp, and Rocco would come searching for him and would want a piece of the pie. If there was one thing Claude hated, it was sharing, particularly blood. This was his problem. He needed to deal with it.

_Anything to get her bloody face out of my bloody mind!_ he screamed in his mind.

Claude grasped onto the girl's neck tightly, tilting her head to make room for his mouth. The girl began screaming again and he had to replace his hand over her mouth to shut her up. She struggled in his grip, trying to scratch him, push him away, slap him, kick him … anything to get out of this position. He opened his mouth, showing her his fangs again, and began to lean into her jugular, but not before taking one last look at her eyes — beautiful big dark blue eyes widened with fright. The lights of her life shined back at him.

_Damn it all to hell!_ he swore mentally, and withdrew his fangs. The human girl's breathing slowed down a bit, but her eyes remained wide with fright.

"You can tell your family or the cops or whoever, but no matter who you tell, you'll never be able to catch me," Claude warned and backed away from her.

"You're letting me go?" she asked hesitantly. He glared at her.

"Would you like me to change my mind?" he snarled. The human girl quickly stood up, stumbling but using the back of the wall for support, and pushed passed Claude, clutching her bag close to her. She was frazzled and beat up a bit, only from Claude pushing her to the ground. She pressed on her head gently, grimacing with pain. She stared at Claude with worry.

"You might want to put some ice on your head. You're going to have a big ass headache in the morning," Claude advised.

"You're giving me advice after you attempted to eat me? This is why you don't see many teenage kidnappers," the human girl muttered.

"Get out of here before I decide to rip your throat off!" Claude threatened nastily. The girl staggered back, but didn't leave right away. Why the hell wasn't she leaving? He'd just tried to kill her. She was prying to get out of his grasp, yet now she was just standing a few feet from him. Didn't she realize that he could easily grab her and pull her back into the alley?

_Stupid girl!_

"Who are you?" she whispered.

"Why the hell do you want to know?" Claude snapped.

_Just go away so I can get your face out of my mind, _he thought, even though he'd never be able to rid himself of those blue orbs.

The girl opened her mouth to say something, but then she turned on her heel and darted off.

_She's going to tell someone, but no one is going to find me._

Claude wondered if his crew would smell the fresh blood of the running human from the club. He wondered if the girl would run into anymore vampires. He wished she would, just so she could die and leave his memory.

_Killing her wouldn't have gotten rid of her in your memory,_ his conscience told him.

But still, he figured it would have been better with her dead. At least he wouldn't have to smell her luscious blood every time she passed the club.

Claude leaned against the wall of the alley. Why couldn't he do it? Why couldn't he bite her? He ran his fingers through his hair and growled.

"Those damn eyes," he said. "What the hell is with those damn eyes? It's almost as if she puts a spell on me, rather than me putting a spell on her." That was exactly what Tripp had said, too, yesterday when Claude confessed why he hadn't bitten the girl the first time he met her. But the girl was clearly not a vampire, so she couldn't possess any powers.

Again, Tripp's words echoed in his mind.

"_You totally dig the human girl."_

Claude groaned. This couldn't be. He'd been infatuated with other human girls, but then they usually became his dinner. Well, with the exception of Raven Madison, his cousin's girlfriend, but he wasn't that into her anyway. She had a pretty face, but she preferred good over evil.

_Bor-ing._

So why was he feeling what he was for that blue-eyed human girl? He couldn't shake the yearning to see her again, but not to drink from her. He wanted to know her. _Why?_

She was beyond beautiful, even as a sweaty, bloody mess. He found her big blue frightened eyes captivating.

Immediately, _Beyond Beautiful_ from Aerosmith played in his mind. He groaned.

"Oh come on!" he exclaimed. "Why does this have to happen _now_?"

He pushed himself from the wall. The scent of the human girl was very faint. She must have been further away now. He stuffed his hands into the pockets of his jeans and skulked back to the Dungeon.

"I wonder if I should have told her my name," he thought out loud. "I would have liked to have gotten hers."


	5. Chapter O5

**_Vampire Kisses fanfiction  
PLASTIC PROMISES  
_Claude Sterling/OC: Madeline Torrent  


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**Chapter 05.**

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Maddie was jumpy the entire next day. Every little noise frightened her and she held her breath when she felt someone from behind her. Her head had stopped bleeding, with the help of a warm shower and compress to the wound, and it wasn't as bad as she had initially thought it was. She would only be left with a nasty scar that would be visible if she shaved her head and a nasty headache.

After she had left the goth kid that had attempted to eat her, she ran up the street, searching for her cell phone in her tote back hastily. Her heart was beating like a jackhammer against her chest. And what the heck was she thinking when she decided to stand by him and ask for his _name_? Who cared what his name was! He was trying to _eat_ her! He was clearly a maniac and needed to be put in a hospital.

She finally pulled out her cell phone, which was fumbling in her shaking hands. She grasped it tightly so it wouldn't fall to the ground and dialed the police, her fingers misses the few numbers many times. Once she had finally punched in the right three numbers, her thumb immediately hovered to the Call button, but she didn't press it right away. Something that kid had said returned to her memory.

"_You can tell your family or the cops or whoever, but no matter who you tell, you'll never be able to catch me." _

What did he mean by that? Was he going to leave the city? Hide from the authorities so he wouldn't be charged with attempting to kidnap and devour?

And then, something made her close her phone shut and erase the dialed number. She stared down at the phone in her palm, still shaking, but not as much as before. What was wrong with her? She _had_ to call the cops.

But she didn't. She rushed on towards home, but not before getting a glance at her appearance in one of the building's windows. She was a mess. Eyes bloodshot, face dirty, hands and knees bloody. She could even see a trickle of blood from her hairline trailing down her face. She couldn't let her mother or Melinda see her like this. Then she'd have to tell the story about the goth kid and, for some reason, she wasn't ready to do that … at least not yet.

She crossed the street and walked into the nearest restaurant, walking quickly towards the bathrooms so nobody would question the blood on her. She scrubbed her hands and knees, then her face. She grabbed paper towels to absorb some of the blood in her hair and washed it out with the water. She didn't want her mother to notice the glinting color in her black hair.

All the way home, Maddie looked over her shoulders and to the sides of her more often than naught. She minded any alleyways or small spaces in between buildings. When the roads were desolate, she walked on the streets rather than sidewalks so that she was away from any buildings. But as she looked around her, she still could not find the goth boy.

Maddie's mother was already home, still dressed in her diner uniform and reading a magazine at the breakfast bar. Her black hair was pulled into a messy ponytail, revealing her own collection of earrings. She turned towards the front door when Maddie had walked in.

"Hey honey. Did you have a good practice?" she asked. Maddie's mother, Lucy, was one hundred percent supportive of Maddie's dancing and wished that she could afford to put her into the classes she wanted. She wanted to see her daughter perform on stage, like they did with the dance classes. Heck, she would send her to compete for _So You Think You Can Dance_ if she could _afford_ to send her.

"Um, alright," Maddie said, struggling to keep her voice calm. She prayed her mother couldn't hear the shakes in her tone.

"Oh, honey, you ripped your tights," her mother said sadly, looking towards her scraped knees. Maddie gulped. "Did you hurt yourself?" She left the breakfast bar and walked over to examine her knees. Maddie backed away towards the hall.

"I'm fine, really. My legs got tangled up in a turn I was doing and I fell. No biggie, I promise," she assured. Maddie's mother looked at her suspiciously before letting her go.

"Oh, okay. Be careful, honey. We'll have to go to the thrift store and get you some more dancing tights," her mother said. Maddie gave her a thumbs up.

"Sounds good," she said and escaped to the bathroom. She jumped into the shower and washed herself off from all of the blood.

Why hadn't she told her mother about the boy? Why hadn't she told the _police_ about the boy? If she had told them, would they search and find the goth boy? Maddie hadn't seen anyone like him. Some would say all goths were the same, but they were also all very different, and this one particularly boy was very much genuine. And Maddie also knew that he was very attractive. His eyes, as menacing as they were in the alley, were a beautiful dark color. He was tall and skinny, but not so lanky. In other words, the boy had a very nice build. His blonde and black hair was wild and the lip ring sparkled in the moonlight. Maddie thought he was very hot indeed, but his intentions were not so attractive.

She shook her head and scrubbed her hair, but gently so she wouldn't scrape her wound. The warm water felt good on her head, but the shampoo stung her cut immensely. She bit her hand to keep from yelling out and rushed her shower.

Even when she woke up the next morning for school, her head still pounded with agony. Still, she got up anyway and got ready, pulling out a pair of dark skinny jeans and a white Hollister shirt that fit just a little too small for her, both of which her mother was lucky to find at the second-hand store. The horrifying memory of last night never left her mind and Maddie was finding herself to be paranoid about every little movement or sound. She tried calming herself, but nothing helped.

When she shut her locker door, she was met face to face with Travis Mitchell again, who's surprise appearance earned himself a short scream from Maddie. Travis, freaked out himself and confused, backed away from her, as if she had a disease.

"Jesus, Monster. What the heck is wrong with you?" he asked. When Maddie regained her calm, she glared at him, rolling her eyes and turning her back to him. There was nothing wrong with Maddie herself, just the traumatizing boy who tried to eat her in the alley last night.

However, even if Maddie had startled him with her scream (which had bought quite a few strange stares from the other students around them), she found Travis by her side yet again as they walked to their next class.

"Travis, can't you ever just leave me alone?" groaned Maddie on the way. Travis snickered.

"Why? You're too much fun to tease." She shot him another glare and hugged herself. The headache was growing underneath the bright fluorescent lights. She needed a Midol. Or five.

"I'm really not in the mood," she said in all honesty, sighing heavily. She ran a hand through her bangs and gently touched the wound on her head. It was still open, but it wasn't as fresh as last night. The massive pounding of warm water must have applied enough pressure to help stop the bleeding.

"You're never in a 'the mood,'" he said. "That's why I tease you."

Maddie was on the borderline of knocking his teeth out. Travis Mitchell had no considerate gene inside of him. When they arrived at their class, she shoved open the door and then quickly slammed it in back of her when she walked in, hoping she'd hit Travis in the face. Unfortunately, his hands were too quick and stopped it just in time, but he was still bewildered and shaken up.

"Hey! What the hell was that for, you monster?" he cried. Ms. Hathaway glared at the both of them.

"If you've got something you need to work out, do it in the principal's office, not in my classroom," she snapped. Maddie ignored her and walked to seat. Travis shook the loose hairs in his face away and stomped towards his own desk. Ms. Hathaway eyed them warily before the bell rang to start class.

Travis had no right to talk that way to her, Maddie knew, with everything she'd went through last night. Her life could have very well _ended_ and he would be sorry to have upset her all the years they'd gone to school together.

When the bell rang, Maddie gathered her books and stuffed them into her book bag, slinging it over her shoulder when she rose from her chair. As she walked out the door, she felt a hand on her shoulder and she jumped, her insides jumping with her.

"Why the hell are you so jumpy?" Travis asked when she turned to see who had touched her. She glared and walked away, but Travis was giving up just yet.

"What do you want, Travis? Do we have to go through this everyday?" she asked, sighing with annoyance.

"I'm just looking out for you," he said with a grin. Maddie stared at him with disbelief and was summoning the urge to spit on his smug face, but she stood down.

"Oh please."

"So how did your dance go? You sure did miss a good game," he said as he began to follow her to her next class, even if he didn't share it with her.

Fear shook Maddie again when he spoke about the dance practice. The only thing that came to mind about dance practice now was that creepy goth kid. She didn't want to talk about it. She bit her lip and hurried away.

"Maddie!" called Travis, running after her.

Maddie almost cried when she ran into the girls' bathroom so Travis couldn't follow her. Now whenever she thought about her passion, she'd only see the hungry face of the scary, yet sexy, goth boy, crouching above her, fangs bared. Who did that guy think he was? A _vampire_? She shuddered and she gripped the long porcelain sink to keep her from shaking so hard. A few girls in the bathroom asked if she was alright, but Maddie ignored them to focus on not shaking so hard. She rinsed her face and stared at herself in the mirror, only to be met with the boy's dark eyes and ringed smile in return. She yelped and backed away, falling to the ground.

_I'm going crazy. I'm going insane._

The same girls came rushed to her aid, pleading with her to tell them what was wrong.

"We should take her to the nurse," one suggested. The others agreed and helped Maddie up to her feet, holding her arms to steady her as she walked.

"What's going on?" exclaimed Travis, who had been waiting outside the bathroom for Maddie to come out.

"We're taking her to the nurse. She must be sick," another girl escorting Maddie informed. Travis looked at her, worried and confused.

"I'll take her," he offered. Maddie looked up at him, her own face contorted with confusion. The other girls seemed to give him the same expression. It was widely known that Travis Mitchell picked on Maddie Torrent because she was more below on the food pyramid than he was, but acting kind to her didn't really fit his description. Maddie figured his act of kindness was only to make him look like the superhero of the situation.

"I'll take myself," she snapped, pulling her arm from Travis's grasp. She fixed her book bag over her shoulder, sighed shakily and walked down the hall. She refused to look in any corner or dark place, afraid she'd see him pop out at her again. That boy had seriously traumatized her.

Maddie walked into the nurse's office and told her she just needed some Midol and rest. As Maddie made herself comfortable on one of the cots, a figure loomed over her and she quickly clasped her hand over her mouth to muffle her scream.

"Are you going to do that every time I appear?" asked Travis, annoyed. Maddie glared.

"What are you doing here?"

"What's wrong with you? Are you okay?" he asked, ignoring Maddie's question.

"Since when do you care?" she snapped. Travis glared.

"I'm just trying to be nice!" he exclaimed. Maddie rolled her eyes.

"There's nothing wrong with me," she lied. "And I'll be okay once you leave."

Travis glared his beautiful blue eyes and sneered. "Well fine! I was just worried, okay? But seeing as a bitch like you doesn't need any help, I'll just be on my way." Maddie's eyes widened to the size of dinner plates.

"_What?"_

The nurse immediately appeared into the cot room, alarmed.

"What's going on in here?" she exclaimed.

"Nothing. I was just leaving," Travis said, walking out the door without looking at Maddie one last time. She glared after him until he was out of sight, but even when he was gone, her glare lingered on the door.

"Is everything alright, Maddie?" the nurse asked. Maddie groaned.

"I'm tired of everyone asking me that!" she cried and stormed out of the nurse's office as well.

What in the world was wrong with her? She was completely acting bipolar and was terrified of dark crevices. Perhaps she needed to tell _one_ person what had happened last night. Perhaps she needed to look forward to something to keep her mind away from the goth boy. Something that involved a big crowd of people.

Well, one thing came to mind, but it would bore her to the bone and she wasn't sure if he'd even want her to come. But it was worth a try.


	6. Chapter O6

**_Vampire Kisses fanfiction  
PLASTIC PROMISES  
_Claude Sterling/OC: Madeline Torrent  


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**Chapter 06.**

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Taking a deep breath, Maddie approached Travis at lunch, who was, of course, sitting with his baseball boob buds. She gripped the strap of her book bag tightly and walked up to him, planning alternatives in case Plan A didn't work out. In a way she actually hoped it didn't work.

Jock eyes lifted to meet hers, staring at her with curiosity. It wasn't until Travis realized that nobody was listening to what he had to say when he turned around and found Maddie standing behind him, looking at her feet. His eyebrow arched and he gave her a slight sneer.

"Well, well, the monster is back for more torment, huh?" he said snidely. Maddie glared and bit on her bottom lip. This was a mistake.

No. This was for her own good. She needed something that did not involve dancing and seeing that goth boy. It would be a while until she went back to the studio. She'd need to find a new place to do her dancing. But she needed something to get her mind off of her trauma first.

"Travis, I was … wondering if …"

It wasn't too late to turn on her heel and walk back to her lunch table. There was a veggie wrap and Diet Coke that was just _dying_ to come out of her bag.

No wait … dying … She couldn't think of the word. It was taboo. Anything related to death was taboo. And, now that she thought about it, so was eating.

She was imaging him crouched over her, fangs bared at her. She could distinctly remember his fingertips pushing back her hair and grazing her neck, his eyes ogling at her jugular. What the heck was the guy's problem? Did he seriously think he was a vampire?

Maddie felt her body shaking and heard a couple of the guys laughing at her weirdness. However, Travis was staring at her with the same concern as he had outside of the girls' bathroom.

"What's wrong with the monster? Is she having a seizure?" asked one of Travis's dopey friends, chortling with his buddies. Travis shot him a glare.

"Shut up, Erik," he snarled and Erik suddenly looked taken aback. Travis turned back to Maddie. "Maddie, what's wrong?"

She shook her head and sighed heavily. "Nothing. Nothing. I'm fine." She glared at the baseball players before spinning on her heel and leaving.

Okay, not exactly had she planned on that happening, but she should have expected it. After all, these were the baseball boobs she was talking about. And because Travis Mitchell was their king and he tormented her, all of them felt it was their duty to do the same. Pretty much the only reason why Maddie couldn't get along with the jock clique was because Travis was their leader. Besides, she didn't speak _stupid_.

Deciding to skip on lunch since she couldn't get the nasty image of the goth boy eating her innards in the alley out of her mind, she walked out of the cafeteria and towards her locker. Might as well get prepared for her next class. Besides, Plan A was a flop. Who cared? She just needed to take her mind off of things. She suddenly wondered how late the gym was open after school, after weightlifting was over, of course.

"Maddie! Wait up!" called Travis from behind. Maddie reluctantly stopped and slowly turned towards the baseball boob.

"Hi, Travis. Listen, about back there … nothing to worry about! I'm fine and you should really go back to joking with your boobish friends. Bye!" she said quickly and turned around, walking feverishly towards her locker. However, a strong hand gripped her elbow back.

"Please. I'm not stupid. You were shaking back there, just like when you came out of the bathroom. Can't you tell me what's on your mind?" he asked, sincerely. Maddie narrowed her eyebrows. Travis was always hard to read. Sometimes he pulled this sincere and kind act, but then, the next thing you know, he's making fun of you behind your back. Maddie learned the hard way not to trust Travis. She couldn't give in. But, she supposed that Plan A was back in action, now that Travis was using his "caring" mask.

She sighed heavily. "Okay well … I just wanted to know if your cousin was having another soccer game. I guess you can finally introduce me as your 'girl,'" she said sarcastically. However, she wasn't sure if Travis caught the hint in her reluctant tone. She only saw him beaming with victory. Was it too late to back out now?

Travis threw an arm around her shoulders and held her tightly to his side. She got a whiff of the expensive cologne he used everyday and reframed from gagging.

"You bet, sweetheart. Trevor's going to _love_ you," he said suavely. Maddie faked a chuckle and pushed away from Travis.

"Yeah, um, first off: don't call me sweetheart, or any pet name. Secondly, I'm not going so I can meet your cousin. I've got a lot on my mind and I need something to clear it," she said. Travis arched an eyebrow and crossed his arms over his chest.

"Why don't you just _dance_ yourself away from your thoughts?" he asked. Maddie rolled her eyes and stubbornly looked at the ground.

"Because that's not really an option right now," she muttered. Travis scoffed.

"Well whatever. You'll find soccer to be a much amusing sport than you think. And maybe afterwards, you might want to check out my baseball games once the season comes around," he suggested with a wink.

"I highly doubt it," she muttered.

"I'll pick you up around five. The game doesn't start until seven, but since it's in the next town over it takes maybe thirty minutes to get there. Plus, I figure we could squeeze in some _us_ time." Travis reached for her waist, but Maddie steered clear from his eager hands.

"Pick me up at six thirty, and no earlier. There will be no _us_ time," she snapped. Travis stuffed his hands in his pockets and rolled his eyes.

"Whatever. You don't know what you're missing."

"Believe me, I do."

* * *

Travis, of course, disregarded Maddie's instructions to pick her up no earlier than six thirty and went ahead and arrived at the time he had originally planned. Maddie had been in her room, history textbook in her lap with her legs folded up, writing the essay that was due at the end of the week. Melinda was on her bed as well, although laying flat on her front and thumbing through a National Geographic, taking a good look at the special feature article of a baby snow leopard. Maddie was completely oblivious to the knocks on the front door, but that was because she had her uncle's old iPod blasted to Coldplay. Melinda had gotten up to answer it and had led Travis to their bedroom.

When Maddie saw the baseball star leaning against the doorframe, she quickly jumped from her bed, her book and papers falling to the ground.

"_What are you doing here?"_ she shouted over her music. Melinda and Travis winced from her yelling and Maddie sheepishly turned off her iPod. "I-I mean … what are you doing here?" she repeated in a much lower tone.

"I'm here to pick you up," said Travis smugly. Melinda walked back to her bed, looking back over her shoulder at Travis and then switching gazes to Maddie in curiosity. Maddie merely glared.

"I told you not to come any earlier than six thirty! It's bad enough I'm going to have to spend all night with you!" she exclaimed.

"_You're_ the one who came up to me asking to bring you to the soccer game!" Travis shouted back. Maddie rolled her eyes and tossed a firm look to her younger sister.

"Mellie, didn't Mom ever tell you not to open the door for strangers?" she asked her. Melinda arched an eyebrow.

"That's Travis Mitchell," she said, as if he weren't standing in their doorway. "He's no stranger, not to us. And it sure doesn't look like he's a stranger to you, either."

Travis snickered. "I like you, kid. Wanna come to the soccer game?" Melinda gave him a strange look.

"A soccer game? No thanks. I don't even know why _Maddie's_ going, instead of spending her night dancing at the studio," Melinda said, going back to her magazine. Maddie glared and Travis arched an eyebrow at her.

"Yeah, you and me both."

"Okay well, I won't need to see you for another hour and a half, so you can go down hang around the jock store and buy some jock stuff and then come back when it's time to pick me up. I said to come at six thirty, not five," Maddie instructed. Travis rolled his eyes and smirked. He walked inside the small bedroom, already crowded with all three of their bodies and the furniture. Maddie knew the size of Travis's bathroom was probably the size of her entire apartment complex and could already feel mocking vibes from him. Once this act of kindness streak wore off, she knew he'd be making fun of her wealth (or lack there of) at school.

He picked up her textbook and scooped up the loose-leaf papers that had fallen to the floor, placing them on her bed. He eyed the page she was on and smirked again, which really got on Maddie's nerves.

"Huh. Doing your essay on the Great Depression. 'Course you would. With your experience …"

Laughing, he quickly ducked out of the line of fire as she threw her water bottle towards him. Melinda looked at them both before gathering her magazine and bolting for the door.

"I'm out of here," she mumbled as she escaped for the family room/kitchen.

"Just leave," muttered Maddie, sitting back down on her bed and snatching her textbook and papers. "I'm having second thoughts about going to the soccer game anyway."

"Aw, come on Maddie," cooed Travis, sitting on the edge of her bed next to her knees. "You don't mean that." He ran his hand along her leg and, widening her eyes, kicked him.

"Get off! And don't touch me!" she cried. Travis got up from the bed, raising his hands in the air defensively.

"Whoa, whoa. No need to get angry. Although, I do like my girls feisty." He grinned and she glared.

"And I like my jocks out of my life. That includes you!"

Travis placed a hand over his heart. "Oh, you consider me your jock? How thoughtful." Maddie groaned.

"I need to finish this essay. Can you please leave me alone for the sake of my grade, at least?" she asked with a sigh. Travis stared at her long and hard and, for a second, she thought he'd take off the kind mask and return to the jerk she knew him as. Instead, he sat back down on her bed, Maddie folding her legs up so her knees reached her chin, as if being near Travis would give her a disease, and he took the textbook and loose papers from her, scanning the first few paragraphs of her essay.

"You've got a good start, but I'd recommend you write a stronger thesis and lay off the information in your intro paragraph. Don't give away too much of your essay in the beginning, or else you'll have nothing to write about," he advised. Maddie stared at him as if he had grown three heads in front of her. Travis rose his eyebrows and sucked his lips, handing her back the book and papers.

"What? Can't I give you advice for your essay? I said you had a good start," he said. Maddie shook her head.

"Okay, you have to be the most bipolar person I have ever met," she finally said. Travis looked at her strangely.

"Me? Bipolar? How? If anyone's bipolar, it's you. Ever since this morning at school you've been acting really weird. You're jumpy and then grouchy and then scared … What? Are you on your period or something?"

Maddie flushed a deep crimson as she narrowed her eyebrows. _No_, she wasn't on her period, but if he had known what had happened last night, then he'd understand her behavior. Besides, today was only one day of being bipolar; Travis was bipolar everyday of the week, ever since elementary school.

"Whatever. Okay, you've helped me. You can go, now," she snapped.

"Wow. No thank you? You're a keeper," he said sarcastically. Maddie glared.

"Hey, I'm going to the soccer game, aren't I?"

"Because you _wanted_ to go," he reminded. Maddie shook her head and groaned, throwing her arms in the air.

"_Fine!_ Stay. I don't care. Just let me finish my essay and don't bother me. Don't talk to me, don't touch me, don't get anywhere _near_ me. Got it? You might as well go watch TV in the family room. Let me be at peace," Maddie said, waving a hand towards the door.

"Do you have digital cable?" he asked. Maddie glared at him again, as if the question insulted her. Actually, in a way, it did. As if Maddie's family had enough money to afford digital cable. They couldn't even afford a satellite dish.

"You'll deal with what we have," she snarled.

"You don't have digital cable?" Travis gasped. "You don't know what you're missing!"

"No, and I don't care! Now can you get out of my room before I call the cops for breaking and entering _and_ harassing!" Travis rolled his eyes, broke into a fit of laughter, and finally left the room. She groaned and slouched against the headboard. Things would have been so much easier if Travis Mitchell had just never been born.


	7. Chapter O7

**_Vampire Kisses fanfiction  
PLASTIC PROMISES  
_Claude Sterling/OC: Madeline Torrent  


* * *

**

**Chapter 07.**

**

* * *

**

Kat sniffed the crisp night wind and sighed with satisfaction, the scent of many humans in one place filling her nostrils.

"Let's head north, shall we?" she suggested, tugging on her lacey fingerless gloves. Tripp narrowed his eyebrows.

"We can't. That's where Alexander is. If we head north, he'll find us and Dracula knows _what_ he'll do to us for not keeping our promise," he said. Kat scoffed.

"Oh please. We're full vampires too, now. We can take Alexander easy. We've got his powers now. And besides, how do we know he knows we've been drinking human blood?" she asked.

"Well, if we hunt for humans in Dullsville then Alexander will surely find out," Tripp said, shrugging one shoulder. Rocco slapped him on the back, Tripp's glasses almost falling off his face from the impact.

"Ah if we stay discreet he'll never find us," he reasoned. "We should go check out Dullsville for a bit." Kat smiled up at him and wrapped her arms around his middle. She noticed Claude staring out into the busy streets, leaning against a building wall.

"What's up with you? Are you even listening to anything we're saying?" she asked. Claude blinked numerously before turning her way.

"Huh?" he said in a bored tone, smacking his lips. Kat narrowed her eyes.

"Ever since you came back to the graveyard this morning you've been acting really weird. What's going on?"

Tripp peered over his glasses and pushed them back onto his nose, usual techno punk music blasting through his earbuds. _He_ knew what was going on; at least he assumed it had to do with that human girl. Last night, Claude had left his friends at the Dungeon and hadn't told them where he was going. They only saw him when he returned to the graveyard when the others were getting ready to sleep in their coffins. He'd returned quiet and only mumbled short responses to their many questions. Plus, he bore the scent of fresh blood, so the others figured he had just gone out for a hunt, at least Kat and Rocco had. Since Tripp knew Claude's secret, he assumed much more.

"Nothing," Claude shrugged nonchalantly. "So, what were you guys talking about?"

"We're thinking of going over to Dullsville for a snack. What do you think?" Rocco informed, draping an arm around Kat's shoulders. Claude pondered the idea. What would Alexander say if he caught them drinking from the Dullsvillians? However, heading to Dullsville would mean that he'd be far away from the human girl he'd failed to kill, which would definitely benefit him.

"If Alexander catches us feeding, then who cares? Like I said, we can take him," Kat assured, as if she'd read Claude's mind. "It's four against one, and we're all equal in strength, well, except maybe you, babe. You're the strongest of us all." She cooed while stroking the planes of Rocco's chest. Claude and Tripp exchanged eye rolls before Claude cleared his throat to bring the two public displayers of affection back to reality.

"Kat's got a point," Claude said. "We've got all the powers Alexander possesses, and plus — I'm smarter than he is. He can't read my tactics. So, anybody hungry for some Dullsvillians?"

**x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x**

Maddie slouched in the passenger seat of Travis's leather interior BMW. Her arms were crossed over her chest and she kept her eyes glued to the window so that she wouldn't have to look anywhere near his face. She couldn't believe she was actually doing this. What in the world convinced her that going to a soccer game was the greatest solution to her problem?

Oh right. The psychopath vampire guy in the alley. She couldn't dance her troubles away because of him. As a matter of fact, she couldn't do a lot of things because of him. A lot of the things she thought of or did reminded her of last night.

Maddie shuddered and combed a loose strand of hair that wasn't pulled up into her ponytail behind her ear. Her finger rubbed against the points of her many piercings. Piercings. That ring in the goth boy's lower lip. She mentally groaned. There was no escaping him.

"Are we almost there?" she unintentionally snapped at Travis, who had been driving silently. Ever since the argument — what _was_ that argument about? — back at her apartment, the two had hardly exchanged a word. Travis had left Maddie's room to watch a Spanish soap opera on one of the only channels her television got and Maddie had remained in her room until she'd finished her essay. Maddie was pretty sure Melinda was relieved that the two of them were gone, as she was stuck in the middle of all the awkward tension in the house.

Travis shot her a quick sneer. "Damn, monster. Can you take a chill pill? You don't have to get an attitude." Maddie snapped her head in his direction with an icy glare.

_If only he knew what I've been through, he wouldn't be acting like a jerk,_ she thought. But she didn't exactly want to tell _Travis Mitchell_ what had been bothering her. They weren't friends. They would never be friends. They had been enemies since the third grade when Maddie first attended Travis's elementary school. She'd been dressed in an orange jumper with a brownish stain near her rear. Of course she'd gotten the jumper at the thrift store, and the stain had come along with it. When Travis spotted the stain, he thought it witty to make a comment about it, announcing at recess that Maddie Torrent had pooped her pants. Maddie could distinctly remember the entire playground laughing at her, a couple of the supervisors hiding their snickers as well, and the smug smile Travis wore, as if he were so proud of his comment.

Maddie had gotten her revenge, though. The very next day, Travis had come to school in his brand new baseball uniform. Why? Maddie had no idea and she thought it kind of ridiculous that he would come to school wearing that, but, of course, the other kids thought otherwise. During lunch time, Maddie made sure to put some of her chocolate pudding on Travis's seat discreetly and, the next thing she knew, Travis was sporting a very nice brown stain on his white baseball pants. Maddie had then pointed a finger at him and announced that Travis Mitchell had pooped _his_ pants. She got the laughter from her fellow classmates, but as for the supervisors, they sent her to the principal's office instead of chuckling along with her.

After that, the two had always been butting heads with each other, plotting revenge for the next childish scheme they pulled on each other. So there was no way Maddie was going to confide in Travis if they couldn't even play nice.

"Just answer the question," Maddie snapped, intentionally this time. Travis rolled his eyes and scoffed.

"Yeah, we are. What's your deal, anyway?"

"I just need to get out of this car."

"Why? I cleaned it just for you," he said with a smirk. Maddie shot him another death glare, but Travis laughed at it.

"Shut up. Why do you have to say things like that? If I wasn't smart enough to know your tricks, I'd think you were actually leading me on."

"You mean I'm not?" Again, he laughed. Maddie rolled her eyes.

"Hell, no."

They crossed a couple sets of train tracks and Travis turned onto a road which led them through a very rural neighborhood. Maddie had never been up north from downtown. She figured a cousin of Travis would play for a league of much higher standing.

"Your cousin is a farm boy?" she asked with a snicker. Travis shot her a quick glare.

"_No, _but my uncle does own most of this land. We just have to cross through Cowville to get to my cousin's town."

"Okay. Jeesh, you don't need to get all defensive."

"I'm _not_ being defensive!" retorted Travis, clearly _sounding_ defensive. Maddie snickered.

Ten minutes later they were driving through a fancy suburban neighborhood. The houses were a lot closer to each other now, each with a neatly trimmed, green, grassy lawn and an expensive shiny vehicle in the driveway. Maddie wouldn't have been surprised if Travis's cousin lived in one of these houses.

A couple more turns and a high school came into view, lights from a field in back of school illuminating a glow around the building. More expensive cars were filed in the parking lot.

"Guess people have got money on this side, huh?" muttered Maddie, not necessarily to Travis, but he answered anyway.

"Yup. And my cousin's one of the richest kids here. Ain't that great? Wealth runs in the family. You should think about joining it," Travis smirked, elbowing Maddie as he put the car in park. Maddie groaned in disgust and hastily unbuckled her seatbelt and climbed out of the car.

"You mean marry you? No, I don't think so. I've got higher standards," Maddie assured. Travis barked out a cruel laughter.

"_Marry_ me? No way, monster. I meant you become my maid. The pay's pretty nice. I bet you'd be satisfied with five bucks an hour. And maybe — _maybe_ — then I can give you a bonus of playtime up in my bedroom, but only once you've done my laundry."

Maddie stared at Travis with her mouth slightly opened. Oh God, he was nothing more than stupid.

"Let's just go. I need to get my mind off of a lot of things," Maddie grumbled and stomped off towards the soccer field. Travis caught up with her quickly and they passed by unfamiliar kids that attended the school.

"Get your mind off of things? I can help with that," he offered, trying to snake his arm around her shoulders. She violently shrugged it off.

"No. Your little clever maid suggestion is one of those things I'm trying to delete from my memory," Maddie retorted.

"Suit yourself, but the offer is always there." He winked at her and flashed his handsome smile, a smile that would have made any other girl melt at his feet, but made her taste the bile rising in her throat.

They made their way towards the bleachers, which were practically full of chatting parents and students. The home team was practicing near the bleachers closest to Maddie and Travis, while the away team further east. Travis suddenly beamed and waved his arm over his head.

"Hey, there's Trev! Hey — Trevor!" he called and violently yanked Maddie's arm, almost literally dragging her behind him as if she were a doll.

"Hey! Travis — let go! Hey — _ouch!_"

Travis suddenly let her go and absentmindedly pushed her away with even force to almost send her to the ground. She caught her balance and dusted herself off, cradling her arm as she watched Travis meet with a blonde boy who was practically identically to Travis himself. They were of the same height and had the same blue eyes. The only differences really were that the other boy's blonde hair was grown out more and his body build more rugged.

"Who's the chick?" he asked suddenly, looking over Travis's shoulder.

"I'm who Travis likes to think is his girlfriend," Maddie teased, crossing her arms. Travis shot her a look of disgust.

"Um, no you're not. She begged to come to the soccer game with me, so I obliged. She's kind of annoying, if you ask me," he added softly. Maddie dropped her jaw and narrowed her eyebrows. Trevor scoffed.

"Well, that's too bad. She's a cutie," he said and grinned at her. Maddie took a step back.

"Hey, well, I'll trade you for that sexy-looking blondie over there." Travis tilted his chin towards a bubbly cheerleading, her ponytail bobbing with every move her head made. Maddie rolled her eyes. Trevor looked towards the cheerleader's direction.

"Cynthia? Take her. I was supposed to take her out tomorrow, but I'd rather bring the little one over here." His grin grew wider.

"I'm not little," Maddie automatically retorted, which brought snickers to both boys. "And I'm not here looking for potential boyfriends. _Sorry._"

A whistle tweeted through the crisp night air and Trevor looked over his shoulder at the field.

"Gotta go. Keep an eye on me, cutie," he said to Maddie. She pretended to gag.

"No thanks," she said in return, but Trevor had already run to join his team.

"I knew Trev would like you," Travis said proudly. Maddie rolled her eyes.

"Oh, is that so, Mr. Matchmaker?" she asked sarcastically. They climbed the bleachers and took their seats near the top, Travis instructing her where to go and where to sit. She snapped back at him saying that she was plenty capable with finding seats for them, but Travis ignored her and continued his demanding.

"Hey, you're the one who wanted to come," Travis reminded when they sat down.

"You don't have to remind me. I know I was on drugs," she mumbled.

"Hey, go get me a hot dog and a Coke, will you? Be sure to put extra onions, and easy on the mustard. Oh, and no relish —"

"Excuse me but do I look like your slave?" Maddie snapped. Travis scoffed.

"If you were my slave, I'd be holding a whip right now. Whoa — that sounded kinky," he added with a grin. Maddie groaned.

"Oh my _God_! Fine! I'll get your stupid hot dog, just as long as I get to be away from you," she exclaimed and stood up.

"Don't forget the onions," Travis reminded.

Maddie had had enough. She was fuming, but she was also mad at herself for being stupid enough to come with the baseball boob to this stupid soccer game. She hated soccer and she hated Travis, so why was she here with him? This wasn't solving anything. Her mind still lingered on last night in the alley and the boy with the lip ring. And Travis's bratty behavior wasn't helping to get rid of those images.

She scanned for a way off of the bleachers. Why had Travis told her to sit all the way up here? Why had she _listened_ to him? As her eyes drifted towards the hot dog stand near the school building, her eyes met with a figure whose appearance made her heart stop. As a matter of fact, her entire body froze. Eyes wide as dinner plates, she met with the dark eyes of the boy she had met in the alley. The lip-ringed psychopath. And he had friends.

"Are you going to get my hot dog or what? Why are you just standing there?" snapped Travis, pulling Maddie from her paralyzed state. She shook her head and her heart began to race. She quickly sat back on the bleachers and turned to Travis.

"I need the keys to your car," she said lowly. He looked taken aback.

"Why?"

"I have to go home," she said quickly. "I-I just remembered that I'm not supposed to go out tonight. My mom wanted me home."

Travis stared at her strangely. He obviously didn't buy her fib.

"Well you sure seemed intent on coming," he said. Maddie quickly glanced back and noticed the boy and his crowd lurking around the hot dog stand, keeping to the shadows, but also keeping his eyes on her.

"Please. Just take me home then if you can't trust me with your car," Maddie pleaded.

"Are you kidding? I'm not missing this game. You can just make up some excuse to your mom later. Your sister will cover for you; she seemed cool, for a kid."

Maddie's breath was getting heavier and faster as she whipped her head back and forth towards the boy and Travis. Her eyes were wide with fear and she bit her lip to keep from breathing so loudly. Travis eventually noticed.

"What's _wrong_ with you? Are you really that worried your mom's going to flip? Jeez, you're a wuss," Travis said. Maddie was too frightened to be angry with Travis's taunts. She needed to get out of here, but she couldn't be alone. At least with the crowd she was safe.

"Please, Travis. I'll do anything, I swear. Take me home." What was Maddie saying? She wouldn't do _anything_ for Travis, but her fear was taking over her voice and she was rambling anything that would get her away from the boy. She glanced briefly back at him. He was just as confused as she was seeing her here. But the glint in his dark eyes still frightened her as clips of last night flashed through her mind. She could feel his breath on her neck, feel his body crouched over hers, hear the suckling of his tongue running over those fake vampire fangs. She quietly, and unintentionally, whimpered and looked away from him. It was then that Travis looked at her with concern.

"Okay, what is going on? Do you really want me to take you home that badly?" he asked her.

"Yes!" she said desperately, not even trying to hide it. Travis rolled his eyes and stood, lifting her to her feet by her elbow. "Fine, but I'm keeping you to your promise. Anything for me? Hmm … I'm going to have a field day thinking about this. I've got to decide this carefully. Who knows when I'll get another one of these promises again?" They walked off the bleachers, Maddie hugging herself tightly and keeping close to Travis as they passed the ghostly gang. Travis noticed them and gave them a disgusted look.

"Jeez, who invited the zombies? Didn't think kids like them would enjoy a soccer game," Travis snorted with an eye roll. Maddie hushed him and the worry spread through her body. What was he doing, trying to make them mad? If they heard him she might have gotten a repeat of last night, and that was the last thing she wanted.

"What?" Travis asked, confused. "Who cares what they think of me and what I say? It's not as if I'm ever going to see them again. And since when do you care about stuff like that anyway?"

This was the third night in a row Maddie had seen that boy. Clearly there would be more chances. Was he following her, like she had suspected last night when she'd confronted him about it? Was he really a stalker?

"Just hurry up and get in the car," she ordered softly. The boy's eyes still lingered on her, as if they were glued to her body. They pierced her, and she felt as if he were looking through her, undressing her. She shuddered and quickened her pace.

"Jesus, Maddie. I am seriously getting weirded out by you. What's your deal?"

Maddie ignored him until she got into the car and Travis drove away. The boy and his gang had followed them to the parking lot, which made Maddie's heart slam so hard against her chest, it hurt her. But they were gone now and Maddie's heart slowed to a safer pace.

"Okay, Maddie, I'm getting sick of your antics. What the hell is your problem?" exclaimed Travis when they were on the road. Maddie gulped. She couldn't even speak. The fear had knocked her voice away from her and she couldn't retrieve it. So, instead of explaining, she broke down into an uncontrollable sob, right in front of Travis Mitchell.


	8. Chapter O8

**_Vampire Kisses fanfiction  
PLASTIC PROMISES  
_Claude Sterling/OC: Madeline Torrent  


* * *

**

**Chapter 08.**

**

* * *

**

"I knew something smelled familiar on the way," Kat remarked, narrowing her eyebrows at Claude. "It was that girl you let go."

Claude had watched the girl drive off in the silver BMW with that jock guy who had given him the disgusted look from the parking lot. He'd smelled her scent as well, and it made his gut wrench knowing that he'd come across her again. Now, more than ever, her feared face burned behind his eyelids. There was no escaping her.

Tripp glanced over at Claude's direction with an arched eyebrow. Evidently his suspicions of Claude finishing the girl off last night were out of the question. What _had_ happened that night?

"Well, I didn't come all the way over here to watch a soccer match." Kat's voice cut through Claude's thoughts and he turned his head her way. "Let's get something to eat. I'm hungry for some cheerleaders." She flashed her fangs in a grim smile as her catlike eyes darted back to the field.

"No cheerleaders, Kat," Claude said firmly. "That's too obvious." Kat stubbornly crossed her arms. "Let's head into town. Some late-night shoppers will satisfy our thirst." Kat snorted and rolled her eyes, but Rocco wrapped his arm around her waist to calm her down. The two of them began walking away from the school. Claude lingered behind, and as Tripp began to walk, he noticed Claude's stationary state.

"Claude?" he inquired, peering over his square spectacles. Claude's narrowed eyes remained staring into the distance where the car had left.

"Maddie …" he whispered.

"I beg your pardon?" Tripp asked. Claude turned his face towards his friend.

"Her name is Maddie."

Tripp smirked. "I thought you didn't care about that girl," he said. Claude shook his head and flashed a glare.

"I _don't_. I've just wondered what her name was, since we have a bit of history," Claude explained, adding a humorless chuckle.

"Well then, let's go. I'm thirsty too, you know, and I won't be happy if Kat gets all of the juicy humans," Tripp said. He fell into step with Rocco and Kat, who were far ahead and absorbed in each other to worry about their behind companions. However, he paused for a moment to look over his shoulder one last time at Claude to say in a gentle tone, "I'm glad you know her name now. I bet that was really bugging you, and you don't need to lie to protect your image and say that it wasn't. She's a pretty girl, but she's human. You know how it is, Claude."

With that, Tripp plugged his ears with his earbuds again, blasting his techno punk music to exit the world of reality. Claude watched him, almost flabbergasted. Apparently Tripp still assumed that Claude had feelings for this Maddie person, and he would be right. But to tell his friends that he, _Claude Sterling_, was attracted to a human? No. Not possible. It would destroy his image, as Tripp had mentioned. Claude Sterling came from a prestigious family of only pureblood vampires (mind his baroness grandmother), so falling for a human wouldn't be acceptable for him. Humans were weak and vulnerable, traits he despised in a partner. Those were traits for prey.

His mind reeled on about Maddie, convincing himself that there was no way he liked her other than as a snack. Her blood smelled delectable and he yearned for a taste. He strained to keep his mind set on that track, referring to her as his prey, but the more he thought about her, the more he saw her beautiful, dark blue eyes and that perfect frame. Her collection of piercings in her ears attracted him as well. When he realized that he was thinking the wrong way of her, he forced himself to think of something else. He struggled to think of blood and drinking and his full-vampire powers and facing off with his cousin should he catch them breaking their promise. Nothing worked and Claude became irritated. If only he hadn't noticed that stir in the building. If only he hadn't approached her. If only he hadn't attempted to drink from her. If only she'd never entered his life, what would have been different?

It was then that Claude realized that without that girl floating around in his mind every second his heart would feel very empty.

Claude tried to remember when was the last time he fell in love?

* * *

After a night of feeding, Claude and his gang flew back to Hipsterville where they retired to their coffins in the cemetery. Feeding had taken his mind off of Maddie entirely, as he seduced human girls and lunged for a bite. His thoughts were clear of her as he became intoxicated with the sweet red liquid, and he thoroughly enjoyed her absence.

As they made their way back to the graveyard, the gang could make out a dark shadow hovering over their coffins. Each of them glared and hissed, and Claude's lip twitched with a fear he didn't want to admit.

Alexander stepped out from the shadows. His familiar dark eyes pierced the quartet with fury. He knew all four of them had broken their promise.

"You've broken your promise, Claude," he hissed. Claude managed a smirk to hide his twinge of fear and crossed his arms.

"What are you going to do about it, cousin? You've given us the powers you possess as well. We're an equal match. And since there are four of us and one of you, you're outnumbered. You've got some nerve coming out here by yourself."

"I don't intend to fight you," Alexander said. Same old non-violent Alexander. Claude should have known.

"So what are you doing here, then?" piped Kat, folding her frail arms over her chest, Rocco right behind her, folding his large arms over his own chest, flexing them in process.

"I'm here to ask you to leave this town. Leave this country. Return to Romania. You have no reason to stay here," Alexander said. Claude grinned and perched his foot on a small tombstone, leaning his forearms on his knee. Alexander couldn't make him do anything. So he'd found out about the feeding. Big deal. Claude knew it was silly of him to feel any sort of fear when Alexander came. He wasn't so intimidating anymore. In fact, it was Alexander who had a weakness, not Claude. Was his cousin still hanging around that cute little human goth chick?

"I don't know. I kind of like it here. Awesome clubs, awesome girls … it's a pretty swell place, don't you think, guys?" Rocco, Kat, and Tripp all chuckled while wearing narrowed eyes. "We won't be leaving any time soon, cousin."

"There's nothing for you here, Claude," insisted Alexander.

"Why are you still here, then?"

"I have a life here."

"Well then," Claude sighed, "that makes five of us. All four of us have got a life here as well."

"Your parents want you home." Claude barked out with humorless laughter.

"Oh please! I'll go back to Romania when I want to. Now, you may not have come here to fight, but if you don't leave us, that is exactly what you'll get. And I'm sure Raven won't want to see you coming back to her cut up in ribbons," Claude threatened. Behind him, Kat flexed her fingers, her claws clicking against each other. Rocco cracked his neck, followed by his knuckles. Tripp licked his fangs with a wry grin.

"We always enjoy a good fight," Tripp chimed. Alexander glared at them.

"Fine. I'll leave. But you can't stay here if you're going to continue drinking from humans."

Claude scoffed. "I'll keep that in mind," he said sarcastically.

"You underestimate what I can do sometimes, Claude. What a shame you've brought to the Sterling name." It was Claude's turn to glare this time.

"And yet you underestimate what I'm capable of as well," he said icily. The two of them squared off, glaring each other down, until Alexander finally lifted his chin and turned on his heel, escaping back into the darkness.


	9. Chapter O9

**_Vampire Kisses fanfiction  
PLASTIC PROMISES  
_Claude Sterling/OC: Madeline Torrent  


* * *

**

**Chapter 09.**

**

* * *

**

A month had passed since that night at the soccer game. Ever since Maddie's meltdown in Travis's car, the two had managed to avoid each other, except during the few classes they shared with each other, but even then they avoiding speaking to each other. It had become too awkward for them.

Travis had comforted Maddie when they came to a stop, holding her in his arms. Holding her, Travis realized, had never felt so right. Why was that, he wondered. Why had he felt so good holding her? He'd parked in front of her apartment building, a shabby old thing that didn't exactly look inhabitable, but definitely said "ghetto" all over it.

A couple minutes later, Travis let her go and Maddie walked up to her complex. Sniffling, she looked down at him from the balcony before walking inside. It was the last contact they really had with each other since then.

Maddie clutched the strap of her book bag around her shoulder tightly as she walked down the sidewalk from the school. She hadn't seen the goth boy in weeks. She was safe from him, at last.

When she finally reached home, she went into the kitchen, grabbed herself a peach from the fruit basket, and took it to her room to do her homework. Suddenly, a small smile broke on her face. Perhaps it was also safe to go back dancing at the studio, instead of having to wait for the gym to clear of the weight trainers. She missed the studio. If the goth boy was truly out of her life now, she figured it would be alright to head down there.

With this sudden excitement, Maddie whizzed through her homework and dressed for practice. She grabbed her dancing tights, a white v-neck, and a jacket for the cool weather. Maddie closed her textbooks and grabbed for her bag, stuffing a couple of CDs to dance to, a water bottle, and a cloth to wipe her face with.

Melinda walked through the door as Maddie was just on her way out. She gave her one glance over and arched an eyebrow.

"Going back to school?" she asked. Maddie smiled widely and shook her head.

"Nope. I'm off to the studio," she said. Melinda eyed her with puzzlement.

"Okay …" she said, unclear as to why Maddie's mood was so different. If only she'd known what Maddie had gone through a month previous, she wouldn't be so confused.

Chuckling softly to herself, Maddie passed her sister and walked out the door. "Tell Mom I'll be back later!" she called to her sister, and then left.

* * *

After spinning and jumping, turning on the balls of her feet and performing emotional poses, Maddie decided to call it a night after dancing for six hours straight. She'd refilled her water bottle at least sixty times and her washcloth was drenched with sweat.

Maddie turned off the radio and took out her Jason Mraz CD, putting it back into its case. She downed the water in her bottle, fixed her hair and wiped her face, then went to grab her bag. As she walked towards the doors, she heard a sound of movement. Maddie froze, fear automatically pumping through her body. Movement? It could have been a mouse for all she knew. Still, she spun around, meeting her own eyes in the mirrors that made up the walls. Nothing. Sighing, she began to walk towards the doors again.

"You dance beautifully, Maddie," chimed a voice from behind her. Her blood ran cold as shivers violently traveled down her spine. Maddie knew that voice. She knew it. For that previous month, she heard his phantom voice whispering in her ear everyday. And now, the voice was phantom no more.

"What are you doing here?" she whispered so softly, she thought he wouldn't have been able to hear her, but he did.

"For the same reason why I've been coming here everyday," he replied, and Maddie gasped. "For you."

She spun on her heel and met with his face. "Get away!" she screamed, pushing him back. He didn't budge, but she almost fell to the ground. She steadied herself and studied him. Suddenly, her eyes widened as she glimpsed at the mirror behind him.

He wasn't reflecting back. None of the mirrors carried his reflection. She shook her head with disbelief.

"You … Your … N-no … That's not ..." She backed away from him. What was going on? Something was seriously not right. He was human. He should have been reflecting in the mirror. But he wasn't.

Her breath came faster and shorter, her body trembling. And the boy started to follow her.

"Stay back!" she barked. "I'll call the cops!"

"Go ahead," he said nonchalantly. "As I've said before, they won't catch me, Maddie."

"How do you know my name?"

"Your jock friend taught it to me," he replied with a cunning half-smile. "The boy from the soccer game. The one you so quickly left. We didn't even get to have a chat."

"Look, I just want you to leave me alone. Stop following me. And why aren't you reflecting back in the mirrors?" she exclaimed. The boy fell short and paused in place. He looked around the room, at each mirrored wall.

"Why are you so freaking weird?" she exclaimed again. "You try and eat me in an alley, you aren't reflecting back in the mirrors …What, are you some kind of vam—" She immediately shut her mouth and her blue eyes widened to the size of dinner plates. She felt bile rising in her throat.

"Am I a vampire, Maddie?" the boy asked, his eyes averting back to her with a grin.

Suddenly, Maddie broke out in a run. She ran for the doors, then suddenly crashed into them. Why were they locked? She hadn't remembered locking them on her way in. She searched her bag for the key, rummaging through everything inside it. There was no key.

"I'm not letting you leave so soon," he said from behind her. She turned her neck and realized he was holding the key with two of his fingers, holding it up for her to see.

_"Let me out!"_ she shrieked, and burst into screaming that rattled the mirrors on the walls. The boy quickly made his way to her, covering a hand over her mouth. Her tears came down faster. No. Not this déjà vu moment. She wanted nothing more than to get out of this position. Soon, he would be dragging her to a corner, and then would straddle her as he'd hover his mouth over her neck, aiming for her jugular.

"Whatever happened in that alley," he whispered in her ear, "I'm not doing that here. Not ever. Though, you smell absolutely delicious, I won't take a bite out of you, I swear."

Maddie whimpered in his arms and struggled to break free from his grip. Her cries were muffled by his hand and she kicked and squirmed to get away. Finally, her heel made contact with his groin and he bent over in pain, but he didn't release her. Instead, he clung onto her tighter.

"I'm going to need you to _not_ do that again," he snarled, and then, in a much calmer tone, he continued, "I just want to talk to you. Are you going to stop screaming?"

Maddie glared at him with bloodshot eyes, but her screaming stopped. Slowly, the boy released his black-nail-polished hand.

"Why?" she muttered.

"I don't understand how a human could have such an affect on me," the boy admitted, his arms still tightly secured around Maddie so she wouldn't run away.

"Maybe because you're thirsty," she hissed through bared teeth. "Isn't that what _vampires_ do? Drink human blood?"

The boy chuckled. "Very true. But I don't think I'm attracted to you because of your blood, as appealing as it may be."

"Let me go," she snapped. "I don't want to talk to you."

"I'm not letting you go just yet, Maddie."

"Stop saying my name!"

"I'll tell you mine if you'd like. I'm Claude. Claude Sterling."

"I don't care." Claude chuckled again.

"I believe you asking for it the night I almost drank from you." Maddie was silent as she stubbornly looked away from him.

"You do know this is basically kidnapping, right? You're holding me against my will," Maddie declared.

"Call it what you want. I'm not human, and I'm not American. Your petty rules don't bother me. I do as I please."

"Then find it in you to let me go. Let me go and I won't call the police," she bargained.

"I've told you about three times already," Claude said, exasperatedly. "I don't care if you call the police. They won't catch me."

"Because you're a 'vampire?'" she taunted. Claude grinned.

"Exactly."

"Well, I can't exactly go _anywhere_ because the door is locked, so could you please let me go?" she pleaded.

"How do I know you won't run off and find another means of escape?"

"I won't. I promise."

"Humans don't do well on keeping promises."

"Oh yeah? Well I'm pretty sure vampires are the same," she retorted. Claude laughed.

"Fine," he finally said and released his grip. "But, just so you _do _know, there is no means of escape. I locked all the windows and doors. You can't get out without this key." He held the key up again.

Maddie glared at him before darting off for the nearest emergency exit.

Locked.

She tried the nearest window she could fit through.

Locked.

She tried every exit and every window. Nothing was budging. The psychotic boy was right. There was no means of escape.

She slid to the ground, backing into a corner of a smaller studio, one they used for the younger kids learning ballet. The moonlight poured in over her and illuminated her piercings and her tears. She thought she had been clear of that boy forever now. Turns out she'd jinxed herself.

"This can't be happening," she murmured to herself as she folded her knees up to her chest and wept into the crevices of her elbows.

Claude walked in, the buckles of his combat boots clinking against each other and the chains hanging from his waist rattling. He knelt down next to her, combing a piece of hair behind her ear, grazing his finger against the backs of her earrings. She violently shrugged him off.

"All you have to do is talk to me for, perhaps, half an hour or so. A friendly conversation. Teen to teen," he compromised, "and I'll give you your key back."

Maddie looked up at him, her face still full of hate and confusion. "Why?"

Claude flashed a charming smile. "I just want to know you."

She couldn't understand his reasoning, and he was being so annoyingly vague, but if it got her out of this building with him, then she had no choice but to agree.


	10. Chapter 1O

**_Vampire Kisses fanfiction  
PLASTIC PROMISES  
_Claude Sterling/OC: Madeline Torrent  


* * *

**

**Chapter 10.**

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**

Claude grinned when he'd gotten his way. Maddie simmered down and stayed put in her place on the floor, staring at him with her bloodshot eyes. He walked inside the room, his combat boots echoing off the mirrored walls, the buckles on his boots and the chains hanging from his waist clinking with his movement. When he neared her, Maddie stiffened and backed away from him. This only made Claude chuckle, and he sniffed the air around her.

"Did you know the Japanese believe that blood type can predict what your personality is?" he suddenly asked, crawling towards her. Maddie narrowed her eyebrows, but didn't answer. "Like me? I'm the rarest of them all: type AB negative. I'm cool and controlled, tactful, and a natural entertainer. I'm well-liked, blunt, and I put people at ease." His eyes leered her direction and a smile of a fox pranced across his face. "So, Maddie, why are you so anxious right now?"

"I'm just doing what you're telling me to. We're _talking_. Now hurry up so I can get out of here. My mom's going to worry," Maddie demanded, trying her hardest not to stutter with fear.

Claude leaned back and folded his arms across his chest. "No, Maddie. _I'm_ talking. Why don't you tell me about yourself."

"You're the …vampire." She muttered the word softly. "Can't you determine blood types, therefore my personality?"

"True," he admitted, "but I'd like for you to tell me yourself."

"I don't need to tell you anything," she snapped.

"You do if you want to get out of here."

"I can call the police and they'll get me out of here," Maddie shot back. "I don't have to play your stupid game."

Fed up, Claude growled and loomed over her within a blink of an eye. His nose touched hers and he could feel the warmth of her fast-paced breathing on his throat. His arms were outstretched forward, trapping her with them as the bottom of his torso touched her knees, which were brought up to her chest. Claude glared at her widened dark blue eyes, sparkling with a film wet substance that prepared him for tears.

"Get off of me," she demanded softly, almost as if she didn't want him to hear her.

"Why are you so afraid of me?" he asked. Maddie's expression of terror twisted into craziness.

"Are you _joking_? Why am I afraid of you?" she repeated, exasperated. "You're a _monster_! You've already tried to kill me! How can I _not_ be afraid of you?"

"But shouldn't we learn to forgive and forget?" asked Claude, not fazed by her tone. His eyes searched her face, tracing her features. He lingered on her eyes, then trailed down her nose, and finally traced the outline of her lips, resisting the urge to just touch them with his fingertips.

"You're insane. You need to be locked up somewhere. How the hell does someone _possibly_ forgive and forget something like what you've done? You've traumatized me!" she exclaimed. She hadn't admitted this to anyone until now, not even her family.

Claude recognized the weight of her breathing. It had slowed down, he realized. He slowly averted his gaze from her lips back to her eyes and smiled again. Talking this out had relaxed Maddie. He knew how she felt now. There was nothing to hide.

"So, you hate me? Is that it?" he asked.

"Of course!" she cried. "Of course I hate you! I hate what you've done to me."

"You hate me, or what I've done to you?" he teased. Maddie snarled.

_"Both."_

Claude sighed heavily and leaned away from her, although he had enjoyed the proximity between them. Maddie held her legs together tightly to her chin while Claude leaned against a mirrored wall adjacent to her. He stretched out his long legs and folded his arms behind his head.

"You still haven't told me anything about you?" he reminded.

"Why the hell would I begin to?" she snapped. Claude shrugged.

"Because it's your one-way ticket out of here."

"I've got another option." Maddie whipped out her cell phone from her bag.

"You don't get any service," Claude mentioned. Maddie glared at him again and rolled her eyes.

"Of course I get service here …" She flipped the phone open and the color drained from her face. Claude shrugged.

"Told you."

"Shut up!" she screamed and immediately started to cry. "Why won't you just let me go? Why are you so obsessed with me? I don't even know you!"

"Of course you do. I've already told you that my blood type is AB and that I'm well-liked and tactful, and also that I'm a vampire—"

"That's not what I meant and you know it!" she interrupted. "Ever since I passed you that night, that night you just stared at me like you were checking me out, you've been following me. You've been following me enough to the point where you attempted to kidnap and _kill_ me! What the hell did I ever do to you?"

Claude's eyebrows rose and he stared at her for the longest minute before replying.  
"You looked at me with those eyes," he whispered, and Maddie's eyes widened.

"I _what?_"

"What makes them so attracting, I wonder?" Claude continued. "Is it their beauty, how they allure you to stare at them? Or is it because of their vulnerability, how something—or someone—has scarred you in the past, before me, even?"

"I'm not vulnerable. You're psychotic," Maddie said.

"You're position right now is quite vulnerable. You're relying on me to set you free," Claude reminded.

"Right. Speaking of which, we've talked now. Give me the key to the doors," Maddie demanded.

"You still haven't told me about yourself."

Maddie groaned. "Oh my _God_! Fine. You want to know about me? My name is Maddie, I like to dance, and I hate Travis Mitchell. There. The key." She stood and extended her hand, flexing her fingers in unison demanding for the key. Claude stood with her and shook his head, chuckling.

"How about telling me something I _don't_ know. Your buddy, Travis—whom I guess you don't, after all, think much of him—has already taught me your name. I've witnessed you dance, and, knowing that you come here almost every night, I've come to the conclusion that you are quite passionate about it. As for Travis Mitchell, witnessing you two bickering on the bleachers the night of the soccer game told me that you weren't indeed friends. So now, I ask again, tell me about yourself."

Maddie's mouth was glued shut as she curled her fingers into fists. Claude could read the infuriation on her face as he stuck his hand into his pocket and reached for the key. Maddie's eyes bulged at the sight of it, but held her place. He twirled the key around with his fingers, admiring it.

"You know, I probably know just as much about you as you do," he chimed. "Isn't that silly?"

"It's because you stalk me, you idiot," she snapped. "Now give me the damn key!" She lunged for it, but Claude swiftly moved it out of her reach.

"It's strange; I probably know _more_ about you than you do," he added.

"If you do, then why are you asking me to tell you about myself? You're such a stupid kid!"

Claude glared at her and tucked the key back into his pocket. Maddie cried in protest and lunged for it again, but this gave Claude the perfect opportunity to clutch onto both of her wrists. He pulled her against him, holding her wrists above her head. Maddie squirmed in his grip, tried kicking him between the legs, but her attempts to escape failed.

"Do you know what's funny about personalities and their horoscopes?" he asked softly. "They're not always right. My cousin may be an idiot, but he would say that what my blood type says about me doesn't fit at all. Cool and controlled? He would disagree, and maybe he's right. So I get a little hotheaded sometimes. No big deal. Do you know what's funny about you, Madeline Torrent?" Maddie's eyes widened at the sound of Claude saying her full name. How he gained knowledge of that, she didn't know. "You and me, we're both the same. Same blood type, same personality. So maybe it's not your eyes that I'm connected to. Maybe it's your _blood_."


	11. Chapter 11

**_Vampire Kisses fanfiction  
PLASTIC PROMISES  
_Claude Sterling/OC: Madeline Torrent  


* * *

**

**Chapter 11.**

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**

For the past week, Maddie hadn't gone a day without thinking about Claude. The weird part was that whenever she thought of him, it wasn't out of fear, it was out of curiosity and confusion. This even surprised herself.

When he finally let her leave the studio, she relayed his words over and over in her mind, listening to them in fear. But the more she relayed the entire conversation, her fear transformed into curiosity. He said he was allured by her eyes. She understood that he longed to stay close to her. Was that really why he wouldn't let her go—because he wanted her in his presence?

And, Maddie knew that he wasn't lying about being a vampire. He wasn't even reflected in the mirror! Maddie knew that was no trick. Still, the thought of vampires actually existing was too surreal for her. She'd read about them, watched movies of them, but meeting one? That wasn't exactly on her agenda. She'd never been one of those vampire-crazed kids who only wished to meet a vampire. She just liked them for the entertainment.

However, she thought it strange that she wasn't all that frightened of him. It was a blow to the gut, for sure. The news was so powerful, she was awestruck. But she wondered why she wasn't more afraid of him. Why was she so curious instead?

Maddie closed her locker and walked down the hall towards her English class. She passed by the gym, and through the crosshatched windows on the double doors, she saw Travis, dressed in navy blue basketball shorts and a grey t-shirt with the sleeves torn off.

They hadn't talked in a while, but, then again, they never really did _talk_. They argued and fought. Travis teased her to get a rise out and she'd attempt to relay a punch to the gut. But ever since she burst into constant bawling in his car that night of the soccer game, they hadn't come into contact with each other. She remembered him wrapping an arm around her, letting her soak his shirt up with her tears, remaining silent and listening to her cry. It should have been awkward, but it wasn't. Sure, she was embarrassed afterwards, but in the moment, Maddie felt comfortable, and she knew he did too.

Perhaps that was why they stopped teasing each other, stopped calling each other names and arguing. They were both embarrassed. She thought that she should have been thrilled that he'd left her alone. After all, that was what she wanted, ever since he'd made a fool out of her in third grade. She couldn't help but feel a sort of emptiness from the lack of contact with him.

She watched briefly while he laughed with his friends, tossing a basketball around and shooting hoops while they waited for Coach Greers. He looked happy, and completely avoiding focus on her. He probably didn't even care that they weren't. _Maddie_ shouldn't have even cared. She was about to turn away when suddenly Travis glanced her way. Both locked gazes for a few seconds before Travis quickly looked away and continued to communicate with his buddies. Maddie rolled her eyes and left for class.

She really did not need him. She told herself to be thrilled and relieved that she'd gotten him off of her shoulder. She didn't have to put up with his teasing and taunting. She could finally go through school without any stress from him. It was a miracle.

So why didn't it feel like one?

Maddie arrived at her English class and tried to put Travis out of her mind, but suddenly her thoughts drifted back to Claude. She mentally groaned. Couldn't she just escape the thoughts of boys altogether for a little bit? She needed to dance. She needed to listen to her music. She longed for the school day to end so she could escape to her sanctuary.

_What if Claude's waiting for me at the studio?_ she thought as her teacher walked in. Annoying dread sunk in her body. Perhaps she'd have to use the gymnasium again. She'd be avoiding the studio again, not out fear, but out of annoyance.

* * *

Maddie made her way to her locker to gather her books do her homework. She'd decided that she'd stay after school to complete her homework, and then use the gym after the weight trainers had left. Lucky for her she carried her uncle's old iPod with her to school, so she'd be able to hook it up to the radio in the gym.

As she began taking books out, she felt a presence linger on the other side of the door of her locker. Involuntarily, her heart began to race and she remembered how Travis would always stick around her locker just to call her names, then he would switch personalities and talk suavely to her.

Quickly, she slammed her door to see who was on the other side. The boy next to her wasn't Travis at all, but instead her locker neighbor, Benny Manila, a skinny black-haired kid with wide brown eyes. Not Travis at all. He was startled by her sudden slamming of her locker and stared at her.

"Sorry," she chuckled nervously. The emptiness returned and she walked away to the library.

She set her things on a round table near the back of the library near the shelves of books. She opened her history text book and took out loose-leaf sheets of paper to answer the margin questions. She stuck the earphones of her iPod into her ears and cranked up OneRepublic. She became enwrapped in her work moments later, forgetting every bit of Claude and Travis. It was the sudden looming shadow over her paper that made her heart jump and return to thoughts of the very males she wanted to forget.

_Travis? Claude?_

She looked up to a few of her artists friends who had been trying to get her attention. She took one earphone out of her ear.

"Finally," sighed the middle girl, Olivia. "We've been trying to get your attention forever!" Her blonde straight-edge bob shook with her head.

"Do you mind if we sit here?" asked the second girl standing on Olivia's right, Lila. "The other tables are full."

"Yeah, yeah. Of course," said Maddie, hastily moving her things out of the way. Of course. How come she hadn't thought of hanging out with her friends to get her mind off of the two boys?

"You know, if you keep blasting your music, you're going to end up going deaf," the sole male of the trio mentioned. Maddie rolled her eyes.

"Oh please. We all know you blast your music too, Chester," she said. Chester scowled and ran a hand through his shaggy golden hair.

"What's that you're working on?" asked Lila, peering over Maddie's arm at her text book. "World War II? Oh how interesting. We just finished that in AP." She cracked open her own textbook and searched for her notebook in her quilted tote bag.

"Do you have to include the AP bit? We know what courses you're taking because you're so smart," Olivia said. Lila shrugged and combed a lock of orange-red hair behind her ear. "I mean, Chester never mentions his AP classes." Chester and Lila exchanged looks and stared at Olivia, rolling their eyes.

Maddie chuckled. She'd never been so appreciative of her friends until now. She mentally thanked them for distracting her.

"So how's art, guys?" she asked.

"Fabulous. My oil painting of Jessica's boobs are going in the art show!" exclaimed Olivia. Maddie choked on her saliva.

_"What?"_

"Miss Ryan brought in a nude model for us to paint," Chester explained. "'Course she had to send out permission slips in case any of our parents wanted us seeing a naked woman, let alone drawing one."

"Well, _yeah_. I bet _you_ liked that," Maddie said. Chester's eyebrows knitted together.

"The permission slips? Not really. My parents almost didn't let do it. The naked model? Hell yeah, I liked that," he said. Maddie rolled her eyes.

"What'd you draw?" she asked. "Or do I not want to know?"

"Let's just say he drew something that we don't normally expose in any circumstances, unless we're ... you know … having … yeah, I'll stop," Lila said. Maddie's face twisted with disgust.

"Okay, yeah, gross. I'm sorry I asked," she said.

"What about you? How's your dancing coming? Are we going to see you on _So You Think You Can Dance?_ any time soon?" asked Olivia. Maddie chuckled.

"Unfortunately not. There're not even coming down here this season," she said.

"You definitely need to audition one day," insisted Chester. "You're incredible." Maddie smiled.

"When do the auditions start?" asked Olivia.

"Not for another four months. The season just started," Maddie informed.

"Wouldn't it be so awesome if you made the auditions and actually competed?" asked Lila excitedly, a wide smile spreading across her freckled face.

"I don't think it would happen," Maddie said with a half-smile. Lila immediately frowned.

"Well, why not?" asked Chester.

"They never come here to audition. And besides, I don't have money to travel to the closest city _just _to audition. What if I didn't make it?"

"Are you kidding? I'd bet my money that you'd at least make it to the final ten," Olivia said, folding her arms over her chest and leaning back in her chair. Maddie rolled her eyes.

"Ollie, please," she said.

"What? I'm serious. Maddie, you're talented. You can dance."

"Oh, you guys," Maddie sighed, shaking her head and smiling at her friends.


	12. Chapter 12

**_Vampire Kisses fanfiction  
PLASTIC PROMISES  
_Claude Sterling/OC: Madeline Torrent  


* * *

**

**Chapter 12.**

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**

The library closed around three thirty. Maddie bid goodbye to her friends, not exactly having gotten much work done as their conversations took up most of her time, but she didn't mind. Talking with them had helped her clear her mind of the boys that continued to invade her thoughts. She'd have to remember to sit with them during lunch tomorrow to continue their chats.

Maddie slung her bag over her shoulder and ran a hand through her long, choppy-layered, black hair. The soles of her flats padded through the linoleum halls. She approached the gym, which still contained a couple of weight trainers packing up to leave, and pushed through one of the double doors.

The young men looked up at her as she walked inside, as if her entrance was so attention-grabbing. Maddie didn't think that it wasn't and she rolled her eyes at their brief stares, as if it were strange to see a female in the gymnasium.

"Hey monster. Looking for your boy toy, Trav?" chimed an annoying voice from the locker rooms. Maddie turned her head towards the voice and noticed Erik with a yellow towel wrapped around his waist, his brown hair sopping wet and combed back. A couple of the other jocks had snickered and Maddie arched an eyebrow at him with disgust.

"He's busy in the shower, but Coach won't let any girls hop in with him, let alone weird ones," Erik continued. This was typical Erik, Maddie knew. He was Travis's right-hand man, his apprentice to teasing Maddie. He was just a tad cute, but no where near as good looking as Travis Mitchell was. But he was popular and a baseball star as well.

"That's okay. I think I'll manage," Maddie replied sarcastically as she walked over to the other side of the gym and away from the lockers. Erik followed her anyway, still wearing naught but his towel. His drenched feet made wet sucking noises on the wooden floor.

"Yeah, so there's no reason for you to be in here," he said. Maddie paused in her step and sighed heavily. So he was claiming territory now? Of course he was; he was a baseball boob.

"Erik, what the hell do you want?" she snapped. Erik glared his hazel eyes at her and crossed his arms.

"You can get the hell out of my gym, for one," he hissed. Maddie's eyebrows arched and she, too, crossed her arms over her chest.

"Last time I heard, Travis Mitchell was captain of the baseball and basketball team, not you. Last time I heard, this court belonged to Travis Mitchell, not you—which, by the way is just so damn ridiculous because, again, last time _I heard_, this gym belonged to the school, and _not you_." She approached him with every word she spoke, finally meeting nose to nose with him, even if she had to stand slightly on her toes. Erik's gaze pierced through her.

"Since when do _you_ stick up for Travis?"

"I'm not sticking up for him, I'm proving you wrong. Like how it feels? No? Then too bad. Now get out of my face and put some clothes on. You've got nothing to show," she hissed.

The gym had fallen quiet as the two had squared off. Erik finally backed off and the couple of boys who remained in the room "ooh-ed" at him being told off. Erik had shot them a nasty look before returning his glare to Maddie.

Suddenly, a voice called from behind him.

"Erik, what are you doing?" he asked, and Maddie's heart pounded, her eyebrows narrowing. Travis Mitchell came into view in a pair of light jeans, a white t-shirt, and his varsity baseball Letterman's jacket. His blonde hair was also wet, but it stuck up in spikes. He truly couldn't have looked any more jock-ish.

Travis's gazed averted to Maddie's petite form. "What are you doing here?"

"It's my business. I'm just waiting for the rest of you blockheads to get out," she snapped. Travis narrowed his eyebrows at her, but then turned to Erik.

"Just leave her alone, Erik. Go on," he said lightly, urging him to go back to the locker room to finish dressing.

"You can go with him. Nobody asked you to come to me," Maddie said.

"Don't worry," scoffed Travis. "Nobody had to."

Maddie rolled her eyes and turned on her heel, making her way towards the stereo against the wall near the bleachers. The exercise equipment had already been moved away and before Maddie stood a clear basketball court, just the right amount of space she needed for her dancing.

Finally, the last of the boys had gotten up and left and she was alone in the large gymnasium. She took out her iPod, hooked it up to the stereo, and began stretching. Today she'd worn a pair of black leggings and an oversized, grey, knit sweater. She peeled off the sweater halfway through her stretching and revealed the white cami she sported underneath.

After having stretched out, Maddie waltzed to her iPod and scrolled to choose a song. A title by Adrian Hood came on and a smile was brought to her face. It was really the only song she liked by him because she wasn't entirely into R&B. As the song started, Maddie's mind was completely lost and her body took control. She twirled around the floor on the balls of her bare feet, her arms wide and flowing. Her hair trailed behind her, loose and waving in the air with every move she took. And with her eyes closed, she could feel the comfort of her loneliness.

Song after song, Maddie continued to dance. Lost was the abandoned homework she meant to do in the library; lost was annoyed confrontation she had with Travis after weeks of not talking; lost was the face of Claude, the lip-ringed vampire boy who felt connected to her by their blood type. This was the beauty of her dancing. Maddie knew she could just be lost in the music and forget reality. It was her drug, her high, and, like all other addicts, she never wanted to stop.

It had been hours before Maddie actually grew tired and agreed to stop. The music still playing, she padded towards her bag and searched for a water bottle to hydrate her with. Sweat gleamed at her hairline and her upper lip, trailing down her neck and shoulders and back. She tugged a hair tie that wrapped around her wrist off and pulled her black mane up, the strands freeing her skin and letting it breathe.

Maddie leaned against the bleachers and heavily breathed. She glanced up at the clock above the home hoop. Was it already five thirty? Had somebody come in to tell her the gym was closing, or was Maddie so enwrapped in her dancing that she took no notice? Shrugging, she walked to the stereo, unplugged her iPod, and stuffed it into her bag. She slung it over her shoulder, slipped into her flats, and draped the sweater over her arm.

With her back towards the door, she suddenly heard a creak and a lock of the door. Maddie immediately turned around, her breath caught in her throat. Her high was gone and she was thrown back into reality. She ran towards the doors and tried them. Her heart slowly began beating again when she was able to turn the handle and open it. However, she was still worried with the thought that someone had been here. Someone had been watching her, and her suspicions immediately went to Claude. How had he found her here? How did he know she even attended this school?

She shut the door and leaned her back against it, shutting her eyes. She knew it, from the very beginning. There was no escaping him. He'd become a permanent part of her life. But why? Because they shared the same rare blood type? Her blood began to boil, and she immediately wondered if Claude, being a vampire, could sense that.

Suddenly sick of this whole scenario, she growled through her teeth and clenched the door handle.

"Claude! You pathetic weasel. Why can't you leave me alone?" she shouted, wrenching open the door. As she turned, she was suddenly met face to chest with the young man who'd been spying on her, and Maddie's breath caught in her throat.


	13. Chapter 13

**_Vampire Kisses fanfiction  
PLASTIC PROMISES  
_Claude Sterling/OC: Madeline Torrent  


* * *

**

**Chapter 13.**

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**

"Who's Claude?" asked Travis Mitchell as he gazed down curiously at her, his thick eyebrows knitted together. Maddie stared at him with confusion. What in the world was Travis doing there? He had left the school hours ago.

"What … what are _you_ doing here?" asked Maddie, clutching her bag. Travis looked away from her, suddenly embarrassed. His fair cheeks began to heat and flush red. Maddie watched as he stuffed his hands into the pockets of his jeans and poke the rubber toe of his sneakers at the linoleum floor of the hallway.

"Are you going to answer or not?" Maddie snapped, growing impatient.

"Does it matter why I was here?" Travis suddenly reeled on her. Maddie glared. Inside, she could slightly feel dread fill her body. They were falling into their usual routine of arguing with each other. She knew she shouldn't have been surprised. They would never be friends.

"Yeah, it does, actually. Were you spying on me?" she interrogated.

Maddie knew he was when he waited to answer. Her eyes narrowed.

"Why?" she asked.

"I didn't answer you yet!" he exclaimed. She rolled her eyes and crossed her arms over her chest.

"Oh please. You're taking forever to answer me. You were spying. Why?"

Travis sighed heavily and ran a hand through his short blonde hair. "I wasn't _spying_," he said finally. Maddie arched an eyebrow skeptically. "I was watching you."

"What's the difference?" Maddie spat.

"I was watching you dance. I ... I never really …realized how …"

"How _what_?"

"You're a beautiful dancer, okay?" he finally spat out, annoyed and embarrassed at the same time. Maddie's dark blue eyes were as wide as dinner plates and she leaned back, astonished.

_What_ had Travis just said?

And, most of all, did he _mean_ it?

Both were quiet in awkward silence for a while, not looking at the other. They stared at the ground, refusing to meet each other's gaze.

"So … yeah. I was _watching_ you dance," Travis finally said, his eyes not leaving the ground.

"Why?" Maddie asked softly. Travis hesitated before answering again.

"I was on my way home. I'd dropped Eric off at his house and I wondered what you would be doing here in the gym. I drove back to the school and saw you dancing, and, I don't know why, but I was … _captivated_." Maddie's eyes widened again.

"You didn't know I'd be dancing?" she asked.

"Well, I did, but I'd never seen you dance before ..."

"And you found it … _captivating_?"

"I don't know why. I mean, dancing has always been boring to me, except at parties and clubs. But watching you … it just made me feel … _different_."

"What do you mean by _different_?"

"I don't know! Can you stop asking so many questions?" snapped Travis. Maddie's eyes returned to a glare, but it softened suddenly.

"I wasn't exactly putting on a show," she mumbled.

"I still liked what I saw," Travis admitted.

"Why are you complimenting me? I don't understand this side of you," Maddie suddenly burst. She honestly didn't know what was going on through his mind. One minute they were ignoring each other, the next he was telling her how beautiful a dancer she was? Was this another one of his cruel games? Travis was playing with her, as always. Just because they'd been doing it to each other since third grade, he still found it okay to continue messing with her head. However, Maddie wasn't going to let him. She wasn't going to let him alter her feelings, not like how he had in his car.

"Why do you always do this?" she continued. "You flirt with me, try and lead me on, and then diss me and tell me that I'm a monster. Your words don't do anything to me, but it's just annoying. Why don't you just stop?"

Travis was taken aback by her outburst. His eyebrows knitted together, but at the same time narrowed over his eyes in a glare.

"Make sure you've turned the stereo off and left the room as you found it. Coach gets pissed when things are left untidy," Travis said, dodging her question.

"I found the room with a group of showered boys taunting me. I don't think Coach will mind," Maddie replied. "And don't even try to avoid my question."

"What question?" Maddie rolled her eyes.

"The question I asked about you always being such a baseball boob to me. You try to mess with my head because I humiliated you in front of all your little friends in third grade. Face it; you're holding the grudge against me. I'll admit it too. I'm pissed that you embarrassed me, but I can get over it. So why don't you do the same?"

Travis laughed humorlessly. "You think this is about some stupid third grade humiliation?"

"I don't see what else it could be," Maddie retorted.

"Well it's not that, so get it out of your mind."

"Well then, what is it? Why do you act so bipolar towards me? Why do you play with me?" Travis glared at her for a long moment.

"I don't know," he finally said. Maddie shook her head.

"Wow. You can't even admit it. I can't believe people think you're so cool," she said and pushed passed him, bumping his shoulder purposely. She began to walk down the hall, and she was almost at the end when Travis called out to her. She stopped, groaned quietly, and turned around, annoyed. He was still standing by the gym, his fingers wrapped around something shiny.

"Hey Maddie, want a ride?" he called, holding up his car keys. Maddie gave him a crazy look.

"Are you kidding?" she asked. Travis shook his head. "Hell _no_. I don't want a ride." She turned around again when his shoulders slightly slumped, but didn't move. Her eyebrows were knitted together as she struggled to understand Travis Mitchell. Sighing heavily, she ran a hand through her black hair, combing it out of her face before it fell back in place. She continued down the hall and pushed through the school doors.

The sky was aglow with pinkish-orange color as the sun was setting. The street lamps had turned on and most of the cars in the school parking lot were gone. Maddie turned her iPod back on and stuck the earphones into her ears, blasting more Jason Mraz. The music drifted through her and she'd suddenly forgotten the strange and unexpecting encounter with Travis. She didn't even look back to see if he'd followed her out, which, if she had looked back, she'd find that he had, and that he watched as she walked down the sidewalk to her shabby apartment building.

**x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x**

Digging a hand into the pocket of his jeans, Travis sighed as Maddie disappeared down the street. He absentmindedly twirled his keys around his finger and thought about the way she had danced. Travis was amazed at how strong her dancing impacted him. He was drawn to it. After all this time making fun of her because she danced, he finally found it so beautiful. He'd never seen Maddie more peaceful. Her movements had definitely turned him on.

As he unlocked his car and climbed into the driver's seat, he searched for his own iPod and scrolled to the Adrian Hood songs he had. He stopped on the song Maddie first danced to, "Brown-Eyed Blues." He played the song and, with the help from the adapter plugged into the radio in his car, it played out from the speakers. The first few lyrics made Travis close his eyes and imagine Maddie and he thought of her eyes. Those beautiful sapphires.

He had the _blue-eyed_ blues.


	14. Chapter 14

**_Vampire Kisses fanfiction  
PLASTIC PROMISES  
_Claude Sterling/OC: Madeline Torrent  


* * *

**

**Chapter 14.**

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**

Claude lowered himself into his coffin as dawn began to approach. For one week straight he'd been gone for the night, away from his friends to stalk Maddie. Ever since the night he'd kept her in the dance studio, his longing to be with her only grew even more wild. He always saw her face flash before his eyes. Her large, dark blue orbs sparkled with life and light. Claude wanted to hold her, to caress her, to kiss her, to love her.

He'd given up on the part of him that told him he should be disgusted with falling in love with a human, but he was always reminded of Tripp's words the night of the soccer game.

"_She's a pretty girl, but she's human. You know how it is, Claude."_

He did know how it was, but how did he know he couldn't make it work? Alexander had been dating his human girlfriend for well over a year now, and they didn't have any problems. They'd worked out the kinks perfectly. If his cousin could have a mortal girlfriend, then why couldn't Claude?

Of course, there was the part where he had to tell his friends, first. He couldn't keep a secret girlfriend from them. He could already see their reactions: mocking, puzzled, and telling him to think otherwise. Maddie was supposed to be his prey, and she had been, but just like a sappy young adult novel, he'd fallen for her. The lion fell in love with the lamb.

He mentally scolded himself for the damn Twilight analogy and fluffed his black satin pillow. As he began to lay down, three shadows loomed over him from behind his coffin lid.

"Alright Claude. Don't think you're going to get away with this any longer," scolded Kat, her fists on her hips. She, Rocco, and Tripp were all dressed in their pajamas, as if they were ready to go to bed. However, according to Claude, it didn't seem they were ready to hit the sack just yet.

"What are you talking about?" snapped Claude, rolling his eyes.

"Dude, you've been gone every night this week, only to come back to sleep, and then you're off again," said Rocco. "What's going on? Where do you have to be this entire time?" Kat was nodding her head according to everything her boyfriend said.

"I'm just feeding," Claude merely said with a shrug. "Jeez. You don't need to gang up on me and badger me about it."

"Fine. Don't tell us, but I thought we were your friends. Apparently this big secret is more important than us," snarled Kat as she glared at him, now folding her thin arms over her Alice Cooper tee. She turned on her heel and Rocco followed after her, heading towards their coffins not too far from Claude's. Tripp remained, his earphones plugged in his ears. He peered down at Claude through narrow eyes, one eyebrow arched.

"You're never going to tell them?" he inquired.

"I'm surprised you haven't," Claude admitted. "I thought you'd get sick of me leaving and want to fill them in. Oh you're right. It's not fair to leave them in the dark. I'm just afraid of what they'll say." He ran a hand through his artificial blonde hair, his black roots apparent and streaking through the color.

"They're your friends. They'll say what's good for you. So perhaps they don't like the idea about you falling for a mortal. I know it's not the smartest move"—Claude glared at him and looked away stubbornly—"but no one can control your feelings. They'll get used to the idea, just as I have. We care about you, Claude, and we're there for you. That's why we're your friends. Don't forget it."

Tripp turned away from Claude and walked back to his own coffin. Claude sighed. Tripp was right. He had to trust his friends, and that meant telling them everything. He looked up and noticed both Kat's and Rocco's coffins closed. He turned back to the east and noticed the sun rising. It was not bright enough to harm him, but in a matter of minutes it would be. Sighing again, Claude slipped back into his coffin and closed the lid above him, thinking about how he was going to break it to his closest friends that he was in love with a human.

Night approached them and the four vampires rose from their coffins, refreshed from slumber. They readied themselves for the night in earnest, just as they did every night, except for Claude, who was still contemplating on how he would admit his disappearing.

* * *

"Not in a rush to leave this time, are you Claude?" chimed Kat in a mocking tone. She was combing her short brunette hair that was streaked with black, smoothing her hand along it to flatten it. Rocco smirked as he pulled a black knit cap with skull on the front of it over his untamable black hair. Tripp seemingly ignored them altogether, but Claude had the faintest feeling that he was listening even through his blasted techno.

"No, not tonight," sighed Claude. Kat harrumphed and narrowed her eyes, turning back to her accessories to continue getting ready. Claude hesitated before continuing. After all, he had the perfect opportunity to say it now, and it wouldn't sound completely random either. Kat had created an entrance for him, bringing up the topic. He took a deep breath before he continued. "Actually, about that, me leaving for the past nights, I wanted to tell you the truth."

Kat, Rocco, and Tripp all turned to Claude. Interest sparked Tripp's expression, and curiosity crawled across Kat's and Rocco's face as they both crossed their arms over their chests. They were silent as they waited for him to continue.

"That girl, Maddie, the one who I met near the alley and claimed as my own prey; the girl who we saw at the soccer game … it's about her," he said slowly, followed by a gulp. Kat's eyebrows narrowed.

"You have feelings for her, don't you?" she asked in a whisper, her tone disapproving.

"You could say that," Claude nervously chuckled with a shrug. A small grin appeared on Tripp's lips, straightening his posture with pride. He was glad Claude was finally admitting it. It was rare for Claude to admit to any of his faults, so witnessing this was practically a once in a lifetime experience, however Tripp wasn't grinning because of that, but because Claude was trusting his friends again with something as important as this.

"That's why we went to the soccer game? To see her, huh?" Rocco asked. Claude shook his head.

"That was actually an accident. I wasn't expecting to see her there. In fact, the reason why I wanted to head to Dullsville was because I wanted to get away from her. The night after I first saw her, I went back to the alley and stalked her until she found me. I attempted to drain her, but I couldn't. Something about her eyes stopped me, so I let her go." Kat's eyes widened with shock. "After that, I couldn't get her face out of my mind. I was unwillingly obsessed with her. It then gradually turned into a willing desire, and now … well, now I just think I love her. I feel connected to her, somehow. I always want to be with her." Claude's fists clenched together as he punched a grave marker, leaving his fist print in the stone. He was overcome with anger now, his puzzlement irritating him. He hated it when he couldn't understand something.

"So these past nights you've been with her?" asked Rocco.

"I've been spying on her," Claude muttered.

"Well, does she know?" Kat asked.

"Know what?"

"Know that you love her … and what you are," she replied. Claude sighed and leaned against the marker.

"She knows what I am. I barricaded her in a dance studio and she noticed my reflection was gone. I clarified for her that I was a vampire."

"Claude, do you realize how incredibly _stupid_ that was?" Kat snapped. He glared at her.

"She isn't going to tell. Besides, if she did, no one would take her seriously. There are thousands of people down here who dress and look like us and claim _they're_ vampires. We blend right in, so we have nothing to worry about."

"You better hope so," she hissed.

"Well, what about the part about if she knows you love her or not?" piped Tripp, shifting the subject back to what it was. Claude shrugged.

"I don't really know. Maybe she got a hint, maybe she didn't. I didn't flat out tell her that I loved her because I didn't really want to believe it myself, but I told her I thought she was beautiful," he replied, his voice drifting into a soft tone. He sighed and thought about her image. She was completely beyond beautiful, and Claude had known that since the first day he'd seen her. And she was a beautiful dancer. He longed to see her perform again.

"Well, what can I say?" Kat said, snapping Claude out of his fantasy. "I guess it was kind of obvious that you had feelings for her, considering you couldn't even drink from her."

"You should have told us sooner, dude. The thought's weird, but I get you. Besides, you can't control your feelings. So you love a mortal, big whoop."

"Yeah, _big whoop_," scoffed Kat. She narrowed her eyes at Claude, sporting a frown, but a few seconds later it curled into a nice grin. "But we're your friends, so it's our duty to support you with no matter what crazy thing you do."

Claude was taken aback by Kat's and Rocco's reaction. It was nothing like he'd thought, and he'd prepared himself for something much worse. All of that worrying for nothing.

He looked Tripp's way, who sported a coy grin that could have literally said, _I told you so_, and sighed, grateful that he had the friends he did.


	15. Chapter 15

**_Vampire Kisses fanfiction  
PLASTIC PROMISES  
_Claude Sterling/OC: Madeline Torrent  


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**

**Chapter 15.**

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Maddie sat at the breakfast bar in her kitchen, her pre-calculus textbook opened and a notebook cast aside it. She worked slowly on the math problems she was given. Maddie was smart, but math definitely slowed her down. It was her least favorite subject, and it took her an eternity to understand it.

And then, unexpectedly, her thoughts drifted to yesterday's encounter with Travis. He'd been watching her dance … and he actually _liked_ what he saw. Maddie didn't know what the heck he was playing at, but she didn't like it at all. She wished Travis only had one side to him; either he was really sweet, or a real douche, but he couldn't be both.

She began to wonder what he had meant about his behavior towards her. It was clear to her that he held the nine-year grudge against her, but he'd said it was something else. If it wasn't because she humiliated him back then, then what else could it be?

Maddie groaned and ran her fingers through her hair. She had to focus. If her thoughts continued like this then she'd never get her math done.

The doorbell rang and both Maddie and Melinda called to the other to get the door.

"Mellie, get it!" shouted Maddie. "I'm doing my homework."

"You're closer!" Melinda shouted back. Maddie rolled her eyes and groaned again, hopping down from the barstool. She unlocked the door and standing before her was Travis Mitchell, dressed in his baseball uniform. He had a smirk on his face as he leaned against the doorframe with his elbow. Maddie eyed him strangely.

"Speak of the devil," she muttered to herself. "What are _you_ doing here?"

"Is that beginning to become your trademark question every time you see me somewhere outside of class?" he teased. Maddie rolled her eyes as Travis glanced her over. "Nice pajamas. Very sexy."

Maddie remembered she was only sporting short purple pajama shorts and a black wife beater. She crossed her arms over her chest and narrowed her eyes at him.

"So, if you walk around in that, what do you sleep in? Your underwear?" he teased.

"Too bad you'll never find out," Maddie scoffed.

"I wouldn't be too sure about that."

"Don't you have somewhere to be, Travis?" she snapped, glaring now.

"Oh, right. Why don't you come down to the school and watch me play. After all, it's only fair since I've seen you dance," he offered.

"Nobody asked you to spy on me."

"I didn't say spy, I said watched."

"You were spying. Get over it," she snapped. "Besides, I'm doing homework right now. I don't have time to go to a baseball game."

"What are you working on?" he asked.

"Does it matter?"

"I'll do it for you."

"Do what?"

"Your homework." Maddie rolled her eyes.

"Shut up, boob. Go to your game. You're not doing my homework."

"I'll do it for you if you come to my game."

"Aha. There's the catch," Maddie muttered. Travis leaned in closer to her with a coy grin.

"And I'm not leaving until you say yes," he murmured. Maddie rolled her eyes and pushed him away.

"Well then, I guess you're going to miss your game then. Goodbye, boob." She began to close the door on him, but he stuck his foot in the frame and pushed it open. Maddie glared. "You do realize you're trespassing."

"Come with me, Maddie. It'll be a lot of fun," he insisted.

"What's so fun about a _baseball game_?"

"I thought the same about dancing. Now I think differently."

"Travis, I really don't think—"

"Come on, Maddie!" he pleaded, cupping his hands together. "Just this one game. You'll have fun."

"What about my homework? That's important too, you know."

"I told you. I'll do it for you," he bargained.

"You're good at pre-calculus?" she asked in disbelief.

"Do _you_ have a 104 percent in pre-cal?"

"You have a _104 percent_?"

"Babe, I have straight A's. I've always had straight A's. I can't believe you didn't know that." Maddie rolled her eyes.

"Oh gosh. I'm so sorry I'm no expert on baseball boobs," she said sarcastically.

"So. What do you say? Will you come?"

Maddie contemplated his offer and hesitated before answering. "Fine," she said reluctantly. "But only because you're a genius at math, and because I figured you really wouldn't ever leave." Travis grinned.

"Hey, that might just be nicest thing you ever said to me," he chuckled. Maddie grunted and turned her back on him, heading towards her room.

"Don't get used to it," she called.

"Aren't you going to invite me in?" he asked.

"Would you listen to me if I said no?" she inquired. Travis produced a twisted smile.

"No."

"Then whatever." She waved her hand in the air and walked into her room. Melinda looked up at her from her National Geographic.

"What's going on?" she asked.

"Travis is here," Maddie groaned. Melinda arched her eyebrow.

"I didn't know you two were so acquainted with each other," she said.

"We're _not_," she insisted. "He's just being a boob as usual."

"And you're letting him?"

"It's not possible to stop Travis Mitchell from being a boob," mentioned Maddie as she took a pair of short denim shorts and a plain teal slim-fit tee. She pulled on her old ballet flats and shook her hair out, combing it with her fingers.

"Where are you going?" Melinda asked.

"Somewhere I do not want to go," she muttered. Maddie grabbed her tote and stormed out to the living room. She met with Travis sitting on her sofa, lounging and flipping through her very few channels.

"I still can't believe you don't have digital cable," he said. He looked up at her, eyeing her outfit again. "Well look at you. Dressed for a baseball game?" He snickered.

"Shut up. Come on." She grabbed her textbook and notebook. "This is for you. You better do it right." She pushed both books against his chest.

"Careful with the bod, monster babe. Don't want to damage the all-star," he said, taking her books and rubbing her chest. Rolling her eyes, Maddie stormed out of her apartment.

"This better not take all day. I want to dance tonight," she said. Travis draped his arm around her shoulder and walked her out to his car.

"Will you actually put on a show this time?" he asked with a grin.

She violently shrugged off his arm. "Let me just get through this first, then we'll talk more crazy talk." Travis smirked and was silent until they got to the school.


	16. Chapter 16

**_Vampire Kisses fanfiction  
PLASTIC PROMISES  
_Claude Sterling/OC: Madeline Torrent  


* * *

**

**Chapter 16.**

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Kat stood next to Claude, nudging him with her shoulder. "So, who would have thought that _the_ Claude Sterling would fall for a human?" she said with a smirk, but Claude knew she wasn't mocking him. Instead, he felt the support of his friends, rather than their disgust.

"Hell, I didn't even think I'd stoop so low," Claude muttered.

"Hey, she's a pretty girl. You like her. No one could have prevented this," said Rocco. Kat nodded in agreement.

"This could have been prevented if I'd never met her," Claude said. Kat rolled her eyes.

"Claude, you were bound to run into her _sometime_," she said. "After all, have you forgotten that we feed on them—the humans?"

"Claude's just embarrassed," Tripp merely said, and Claude shot him a dirty look. "After all, we all know the humans are our food, and she's no exception."

"Tripp's right. This is just like a lion falling in love with a lamb," Claude said.

"_Please_ leave the Twilight analogy out of this," Kat groaned.

"You didn't let me finish, Claude," said Tripp, "because _you're_ wrong to be embarrassed. Besides, you're Claude Sterling. Since when do you give a crap about what others think? You're too good for that, remember? If anything, you make _others_ feel insecure."

"Just don't start that stupid diet your cousin is on or we'll really lose respect in you," Kat warned. "You aren't Alexander. You're better than him. Prove to him that you can keep a human girlfriend just like he can, and _still_ be a true vampire."

"You aren't weak," Rocco said.

"Yeah, if you're comparing yourself to Alexander, don't. You're better than he is," Tripp agreed.

Claude grinned, his silver lip ring glistening in the moonlight. "You guys are right. I am better than Alexander. And I'll get Maddie to be my girl, human or not."

"And, who knows? Maybe you'll even make a mate out of her. Turn her into one of us," Tripp suggested with a coy grin.

"Sure. You'd feel a whole lot better about dating her if she were a vampire, wouldn't you?" said Rocco.

Claude's eyes lit up. Why hadn't he thought of that? Why be ashamed of falling in love with the human when he could easily change that in a split second. One bite was all it took and he would proudly take her.

"Why didn't I think of that?" he exclaimed. His friends gave him smug looks. "All I have to do is get Maddie to fall in love with me and then I'll turn her. Damn, I'm brilliant," he added, running his tongue over his ring, and then his fangs, grinning fancifully. Rocco's, Kat's, and Tripp's smug grins dropped to frowns and they each arched their eyebrows, knowing that Claude hadn't come up with the idea at all.

**x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x**

Maddie felt the déjà vu moment as she sat in Travis's silver BMW, her arms stubbornly crossed over her chest. She glanced back at Travis driving, gazing over his uniform. This wasn't the first time she'd seen him in it, but it was the first time she admitted to herself that he didn't look bad in it. Quite the contrary, Maddie thought Travis looked incredibly hot in it, as his baseball pants tightly hugged his well-formed legs, the shimmering underarmor molded finely against his muscled arms and the jersey slightly loose over his chest. His ball cap covered most of his perfect blonde hair, but some stray strands poked out from underneath, the tufts on the nape looking incredibly cute to Maddie for some strange reason.

She watched his playful, teasing blue eyes cautiously watch the rode while one of his hands curled around the leather steering wheel, the other hanging inside of the door while his elbow stuck outside the window. Her textbook had been cast in the backseat of the sedan, along with all of his baseball gear.

Travis caught her staring at him and smirked, arching an eyebrow.

"Like what you see, monster?" he chimed. Maddie was taken aback and narrowed her eyebrows, pursing her lips and averting her gaze back out the passenger window.

"Not even close," she replied. Travis grunted and rolled his eyes.

"If not, then why were you staring at me?" he asked snidely.

"I was _not_ staring at you. Nothing could possess me to stare at you, trust me," she insisted defensively. Travis laughed.

"Wow, Maddie. You're hilarious when you're so defensive."

"I'm not being defensive!" she blurted, and Travis briefly gave her an _I told you so_ look before turning his gaze back to the road. Maddie sighed and rolled her eyes.

"Oh good, we're here," she muttered and curled her fingers around the door handle to quickly get out of the car. Travis pulled into the parking lot, but quickly locked the doors so Maddie couldn't escape. She growled at him.

"I knew you were a monster," he snickered. Maddie sighed heavily.

"Come_ on_. It's bad enough I have to sit through this boring game, why are you torturing me by locking me in this car? What is it with guys locking me in places?" she muttered to herself.

Travis arched an eyebrow. "What do you mean? There's_ another_ guy? Aw man, now I don't feel all that special anymore," he pouted.

"Believe me, I _wish_ you were the only one so that I didn't have to put up with the other dude," she said.

"Does this other guy happen to be that Claude person?" inquired Travis. Maddie rolled her eyes.

"You know what? Just forget it. Now let me out of here." She tugged on the door handle, but the door remained locked.

"No way. Tell me who this guy is. I'm curious," he said.

"He's no one! Come on, boob. You've got a game to attend anyway."

"Coach will start without me. Tell me who he is."

"Guess you aren't that much important to the team, huh?" Travis scoffed.

"Are you kidding? I'm the _biggest_ importance of the team. I'm not an all-star for no reason. Coach'll just put Johnny Riggs in for the first inning. Then he'll switch when I come."

"God. You _are_ cocky," Maddie mentioned.

"Tell me who the damn guy is, why don't you?"

"Why do you care?" Maddie snapped. "So there's another guy in my life. Doesn't mean he's all that important. He's just as much of a nuisance as you are."

Travis stared at her for a long time, his beautiful baby blue orbs narrowed. Finally he unlocked the door and sneered.

"Never mind," he snapped and violently pushed his door open, slamming it shut as he turned to the back door to get his bag. Maddie rolled her eyes at his babyish attitude and thought in disbelief how she thought he actually looked attractive in his uniform. Any ounce of attraction was officially gone.

She opened the door, slinging her bag over her shoulder, and followed him out to the baseball field behind the school. She stared at the back of his head, wondering why he cared so much as to find out who Claude was.

Suddenly, her thoughts drifted to the lip-ringed vampire, imagining his tousled blonde hair with the natural black streaks that came from his roots, his egotistic smirk, and his dark lusty brown eyes. The last time she'd seen him was at the dance studio, and even thought it was only a few nights ago, she felt as if she hadn't seen him in eternity. She assured herself that she was perfectly fine about this; as a matter of fact, she was glad that she hadn't seen Claude's gorgeous face since that night in the studio. She continued to question herself about not being afraid of his being a vampire. She knew he was telling the truth, but a part of her didn't exactly believe him, that or it really hadn't sunken in that Claude was a vampire.

She thought about what he'd said about her, about how he was attracted to her. He thought he'd been attracted to her eyes, but instead he was _connected_ to her through their blood, or rather, their blood type. The words chilled Maddie, but also left her curious. Of course Claude was attracted to her blood; he was a _vampire_, or so he said. But she continued to wonder why he wouldn't bite her. She didn't want him too, but it was almost as if he was struggling to keep himself from biting her, like something repelled him.

She shook her head and scolded herself for thinking too much about him. As long as she didn't see Claude, she was fine. She took out her used iPod and stuck the earphones into her ears, drowning her thoughts out with her music. Hopefully it would help the game go by faster. She just wanted to go to the studio and dance. She thought about sneaking away from Travis's game, but then thought that he probably wouldn't do her homework if she ditched him. As she parted from Travis and walking to the bleachers, meeting the puzzled and sneering faces of Travis's fellow preppies, she sat down at the very top, praying she'd fall asleep during the game.


	17. Chapter 17

**_Vampire Kisses fanfiction  
PLASTIC PROMISES  
_Claude Sterling/OC: Madeline Torrent  


* * *

**

**Chapter 17.**

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The heavy metal music pounded through the room, dancing oblivious mortals moshed together in all parts of the room. Mannequins hung from the ceiling, dressed in retro punk outfits and leather, covered in both real and fake cobwebs as strobe lights flashed from the ceiling. The stone walls were covered with posters of vampires and zombies, of heavy metal bands, and blood-related phrases. A bar was set up off one side of the room, and to the other was a palm reader. A winding iron staircase led up to a balcony that overlooked the entire room.

Claude watched with a twisted smile the imbecilic mortals who favored the darkness just as much as he did. At the stroke of midnight, the entire club was packed with goth humans, some even claiming to be vampires. But Claude and his crew knew they were the only legit vampires in the room because the room just below them was where the creatures of the night really partied.

"Who are you thinking about snagging, Claude?" chimed Tripp, appearing right beside him, sporting his trademark earphones, as if the music booming from the speakers along the room wasn't enough. His thin figure was pressed into a pair of leather pants, chains crossing his legs from hip to hip and steel-toe combat boots that bore studded straps over the foot and leg of the boot. His torso was molded nicely with a black button down shirt, the cuffs neatly folded, and a spider-webbed tie that harnessed his neck. He peered at Claude through his square spectacles, producing a cunning smirk.

Claude stroked his blonde-dyed hair and eyed the compressed crowds of the building, leaning over the gothic iron railing. He ran his tongue over his lower lip ring and sighed with content.

"There's only one worth snagging," he said finally, turning around to lean his back against the rail. He folded his arms over his athletic figure, sporting a leather jacket with a fur-lined collar, an immensely torn Sonata Arctica underneath. His long legs were draped in black plaid skinny jeans, stuffed with his own pair of steal-toe combat boots. Various stud, spike, and bullet belts draped from his thin waist. He bought many lustful gazes from goth women of all ages at the club, but, of course, merely blew them off.

Tripp narrowed his eyes and grinned. "Oh, of course. Your little human lover," he chimed. Now that Claude had admitted to his falling in love with a human, and with the idea of biting her to become one of them, he felt comfortable with talking about her.

"Hmm … wonder where Maddie's at right now," Claude thought out loud. Kat and Rocco drew near, joining their friends at the railing. Kat sported a tight vinyl dress that ended some inches above her knees, donning fishnet tights underneath and black go-go boots. A torn motorcycle jacket with spikes lining the shoulders was draped around her bare shoulders, appearing much too big for her dainty form. Rocco stood behind her, his arm hugging her small waist tightly with affection as he was dressed in a plain black shirt that hugged his well-built chest and torn jeans, donning a pair of old Converse and a spiked dog collar around his neck. His unruly shaggy black hair was free of his usual knit cap, exposing the wide plugs in his earlobes.

"Thinking about his human toy?" asked Kat, fingering the ruby that hung from her studded choker and cracking her bubblegum. Rocco snickered.

"She's better than any of these ingrates," Claude sneered, pointing his thumb down at the moshing humans.

"You don't have to _like_ anyone else. Humans are here for us to drink from," Kat said.

"Except Maddie," added Rocco. Kat nodded.

"So, when do we get to meet her?" chimed Tripp, leaning over the railing, but turning his neck to his friends.

"What makes you think she's eager to meet a group of vampires?" asked Claude with a snicker.

"Well she's bound to meet us someday. Besides, what if just by accident one of _us_"—Rocco motioned to himself, Kat, and Tripp—"runs into her without you and we're _hungry_?" Claude's eyes widened with disgust.

"Rocco …" Kat extended his name into many syllables. Claude glared at him.

"You all know what she looks like, you know the smell of her blood … if you did, I'd kill you," he snarled.

"Oh, so now she's worth killing us over?" Rocco inquired, surprised.

"Her blood did smell delectable," Tripp said wistfully.

Ignoring Rocco, Claude responded to Tripp, "Yes. I know. Don't' you think it's hard enough for me to be around her?"

"Well, this is nice and touching, and I'm oh-so adoring the lovey-dovey feelings you have for this human girl, but I'm thirsty," Kat chimed. She looked up at Rocco, pouting ever so slightly and giving him a sultry innocent expression. "Wanna get something to drink for me, love?" Rocco grinned coyly down at her and pressed his lips against her ruby red ones.

"Of course. We're headin' out. Meet you at the graveyard?" he asked Claude and Tripp.

"I'm thirsty too, but I'll let you two hunt on your own. I'll pick something up downstairs," Tripp said. Claude nodded. Rocco and Kat, snuggling against each other, turned their backs on their friends as they walked towards the iron staircase.

"Honestly, I think it's great they're finally dating, but the romance stuff still makes me sick," Tripp said, sticking out his tongue in a gagging motion. "When I see Kat all mushy with him, I tend to miss the violent and snarky Kat." Claude chuckled.

"You just need to find yourself a girl," he said. Tripp arched an eyebrow at him.

"You mean a human just like you? You know if Maddie has any friends?" he teased. Claude rolled his eyes.

"See, this was why I didn't want to tell you guys about her. I knew you'd make fun of me."

"But you're Claude. You're not supposed to care what people say about you," reminded Tripp. "Remember? You're too good for that."

Claude shrugged his shoulders upwards so that the furry collar tickled underneath his ears and grinned.

"I know. You're right. Fine. You guys want to meet Maddie?" Claude finally asked. Tripp smirked.

"Would be nice to be formally introduced," he mentioned.

"Who's Maddie?" asked a familiar voice from the staircase. Tripp and Claude turned their gazes to the voice and met with Alexander's dark curious eyes, a spunky goth girl joined at his side. Tripp smirked and Claude's eyebrows rose.

"Well, well. You've brought the rosebud," he chimed. "How ya doin', Raven?" The girl narrowed her own dark eyes and rolled them.

"We asked you a question first," she snipped.

"Who's Maddie, Claude?" Alexander asked again. Claude tilted his chin in the air with dignity.

"A girl," he said vaguely. Both Alexander and Raven narrowed their eyebrows suspiciously and walked towards them. Raven crossed her arms over her chest, her bodice contained in a corset dress, while she sported a long-sleeved mesh shirt underneath and a pair of striped stockings, finishing with her signature combat boots. Her raven hair was cut in wild short layers and was pinned with a few skull barrettes and barely tickled her collarbone.

Alexander's dark eyes narrowed even further as he, too, finally mirrored Raven's pose, crossing his arms over his own Sonata Arctica t-shirt. He was donned in baggy black pants, chains crisscrossing over his legs.

"Vampire … or human?" he whispered. Claude smirked again, and Tripp grew himself a toothy smile.

"What does it matter? You just want me to leave, but you know I never will," Claude said nonchalantly, waving his hand casually in the air.

"I know you're still feeding on humans, Claude," Alexander hissed. "I just had myself a little peek at the work of Kat and Rocco."

"Jeez. Peeping Tom, much? They're always acting inappropriately," Tripp said with a shrug.

"That's not what he meant!" snapped Raven.

"Maddie's no one of your concern. Now, if you'll excuse us, cousin, Tripp and I are going to get a drink downstairs," Claude said and pushed past Alexander, however he was pushed violently back against the railing by his cousin's hand, his jacket crumpled in his fingers.

"You underestimate me, Claude. You feed on another human and you'll be sorry." His face was mere inches from Claude's. He glared at Alexander and curled around his fist that tugged on his jacket.

"No, _you_ underestimate _me_, Alexander. You forget that I'm just as much vampire as you are now. I'm just as clever, just as fast, just as powerful, if not more," he snarled and pushed him back. His glare lifted and he chuckled at the sight of Raven and Alexander's angered faces. "We're so alike, Alexander. We even like to express our love for European bands." He motioned to their shirts. "But, back to serious. You can't make me do anything, Alexander. Not anymore. I guess you shouldn't have given us that vial." Tripp snickered from behind him.

"You're cocky, Claude," Raven piped. "And you don't watch what you're saying. You promised Alexander you would not abuse the power of a full vampire, and you've broken it. Your promises are just like the preps at my school: plastic. They're fake, and they're going to catch up with you."

"Talk much, Raven?" Claude scoffed. "Stay out of this and let the real vamps take care of things, won't you? That includes you, Alexander. Butt out. Mind your own business. This isn't even your town. It's mine. I'll do what I want."

"We belong here just as much as you do," Alexander said.

"If not more," Raven added. "My aunt lives here!"

Claude and Tripp exchanged glances, and Tripp fixed his glasses, pushing them up the bridge of his nose.

"We'll be sure to drop by, then," he said. Raven gasped.

"No, you _won't._ Raven's right. You're broken promises are going to catch with you. Do yourself a favor, Claude, and take you and your friends back to Romania."

"Or else?" Claude challenged. Alexander glared.

"Or else I'll find that Maddie girl," he threatened, "and I'll make it so she won't ever want to see you again." Claude's eyebrows narrowed and Alexander knew he struck a nerve. "That's right. I heard your conversation earlier. Maddie's human, and you're in love with her. Feed on one more human and you'll never see her again."


	18. Chapter 18

**_Vampire Kisses fanfiction  
PLASTIC PROMISES  
_Claude Sterling/OC: Madeline Torrent  


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**Chapter 18.**

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Claude choked back a gasp as Alexander's words stung him. Tripp's eyes widened as they flew to Claude's shocked expression. Claude glared, snarling.

"You're a bastard. If you do anything to Maddie, I'll hurt _her_," Claude threatened, pointing to Raven. Raven's dark eyes widened with fear.

"I don't think so. Just don't drink from any more humans and Maddie will be safe. I know she means a lot to you," Alexander said, sternly but softly.

"No!" Claude exclaimed automatically, but immediately regretted the word.

"Yes she does. It's so obvious from what we overheard," Raven said.

"Didn't anyone teach you it was rude to eavesdrop?" snarled Claude.

"I said _overheard_, not eavesdrop," she corrected.

"Shut up!"

"Claude, it's okay to be in love with a human, but in order to keep seeing her, you have to stop drinking from her kind. It's just wrong to love one and drink from another," Alexander said. "It's wrong to drink from them period."

"It's in our _nature_," Tripp explained. "Just because you've always wanted to be human doesn't mean we all should." Alexander frowned and Claude could read the offense he hid.

"Just because it's in our nature doesn't make it right," he said. Claude sighed heavily and groaned.

"Fine. If I stop drinking from humans, you'll leave Maddie alone?" he asked. Alexander nodded. "Okay then. Just so you won't hurt her."

"I wouldn't have hurt her," Alexander assured. "I just would make sure you wouldn't see her again. It would have been your consequence. For hurting all of those humans, I'd need something to hurt you."

"You could have fought me," Claude suggested with a shrug and eye roll. Alexander shook his head.

"Do you not know me at all?"

"Oh yeah, I forgot. You've always been too much of a softy, especially for a vampire," taunted Claude.

"Don't push it, Claude." Claude raised his hands defensively.

"Whatever. We'll stop," he said. Tripp gaped at him and Claude shot him a dirty look. Tripp stubbornly crossed his arms and glared, rolling his eyes away.

"Kat and Rocco are never going to forgive you," he said. Claude sighed and Alexander eyed him sternly.

"This is your last chance, Claude," he said one last time. "I've given you too many already, but since we're family, I'll, reluctantly, let it pass. You break this promise and you're history."

Claude scoffed. "Easy on the threats, Alexander. You're exceeding your limit." Raven rolled her eyes. Alexander shook his head and pressed his hand on the small of Raven's back, escorting her down the stairs as he gave Claude one last glance. Claude sighed heavily and shook his head.

"That damn bastard," he muttered.

"I guess you should have had a reason to fear his finding out about our feeding," said Tripp. Claude shook his head as he reluctantly agreed with his friend mentally.

**x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x**

Maddie, surprisingly, could not fall asleep during the baseball game. Instead, she was drawn to it. Her eyes always focused on the ball, anxiety rising whenever a score was close to being made. She was interested in the pitcher's position, how, when he was about to throw the ball, he performed this certain wind-up movement, but, to Maddie, it reminded her of a dance. Cocking her head to the side, she studied each pitcher's wind-up.

She caught Travis's eye many times as well, as if he wanted her to watch him, despite their argument just before the game. He'd been so intent on figuring out who Claude was. The question she'd asked him floated around in her mind. _Why did he care?_

Sighing, she thought about Claude again. Some eerie feeling floated inside of her, wondering what he was up to. What did vampires do at night, she wondered? Drink blood from innocent humans? The very thought repulsed her and she forced herself to stop thinking about him, but she couldn't. She could very vividly seeing his handsome smirk in her mind. Maddie had always found Claude handsome. Even though he dressed in torn clothes and leather and outlined his eyes in eyeliner, there was something about him that she was drawn to.

Maddie shook her head. Now she really needed to stop thinking about Claude. If she was considering even being the least bit attracted to him, she was out of her mind. What was wrong with her? First Travis, now _Claude_? The two boys she so desperately wanted out of her life?

She sighed heavily and closed her eyes, letting her music wash over her, praying it would wash away her problems as well. She was tired of boy problems.

She entranced herself by watching the game again. The score was five-three, with Maddie's school in the lead. When her attention returned to the game, she realized that Travis was now pitching. He wound his arm, ready to pitch the ball, bringing his knee up to his chest. Suddenly, he extended his arm and his foot swept across the dirt of the mound, the ball flying from his grasp, passing the batter of the opposite team at an impeccable speed, and landing into the catcher's mitt. Cheers erupted from Maddie's bleachers, the preps who'd given her odd stares jumping in their seats, calling Travis's name and clapping. Maddie's eyebrows narrowed. Travis's pitching was a lot more elegant than any of the other pitchers. This surprised her.

She watched him even further as he continued to pitch strikes. She watched his cleat scrape the ground, balancing himself as he threw the ball. His movements were so _graceful_. And then, she almost laughed at the thought of Travis being _graceful_. He was a baseball player. They weren't graceful. They were rugged and slid in the dirt.

But as she watched Travis, she couldn't help but agree with herself. Travis's pitching was graceful. She wondered how well he could dance her style.

The game ended with a final score of 12-5, Maddie's school the winning team. After both teams lined up and shook the other team's hands, Travis's team jumped around, cheering and chest-bumping each other. The home bleachers were eroding with cheers and whooping, almost everyone standing and jumping in place. Maddie sighed and gathered her bag, turning off her iPod and stuffing it inside. She climbed down from the bleachers, passing the home team's dugout as Travis and his team was thwarped with fans. She lingered briefly, watching Travis bask in the fame as he scored the winning run, his batting helmet still on his head. She scoffed and shook her head, continuing on her way towards the parking lot.

Just as she was about to leave the field, a voice called out to her. She turned and saw Travis running towards her, his batting helmet still on his head, his bag hastily slung over his shoulder. He was waving his hand to catch his attention.

"Hold up, monster!" he called. Maddie rolled her eyes and crossed her arms over her chest.

"Yes, boob?"

"Gosh, guess you really want to give me that private dance performance, don't you?" he said with a smirk. Fast air blew through her lips.

"Well, yes, but it's no performance. It's for myself," she said. "And nobody said you had to leave your pals. I was happy walking to the studio by myself."

Travis rolled his eyes and lifted the helmet off of his head. "Oh please. You weren't going to walk there."

"Why not?"

"'Cause I was going to drive you there. For my performance," he added cunningly.

"You're not getting a performance," Maddie insisted, narrowing her eyebrows. Travis frowned.

"But I scored the winning run. And I pitched five consecutive no-hitters. You've got to give me some reward," he said.

"A _reward_? How about a simple _congratulations_?"

"But that's boring," he moaned. Maddie rolled her eyes.

"I'll grace you with my presence as you drive me home." Travis narrowed his eyebrows and a coy grin spread across his lips, making Maddie's heart race. She'd seen this twisted smile many times, growing up with it practically, but now, looking at it, her heart pounded against her ribcage, much to her annoyance.

"How about a kiss? Make-out with me in my car? That's a good way to reward an all-star," he said smugly. Maddie glared.

"No," she said flatly.

"Aw, come on."

"Just drive me to the studio," she sighed, walking towards his car. She felt strong fingers quickly wrap around her wrist. She turned around, annoyance clear on her face. When she met with Travis's bright baby blue eyes, hers narrowed with puzzlement. Why on earth was her heart doing this to her? She knew Travis was gorgeous—everybody did—but she could never fall for him, _ever_. No matter how adorable his blonde hair looked completely messy and tousled with hat hair, no matter how admittedly sexy he looked covered in the orange dirt from the field, no matter how charming his smirk looked sometimes. Maddie would never fall for him.

They stared at each other before Travis shook his head and finally let go of her wrist. She gave him a strange look.

"You're gonna have to give me directions," he said, walking past her towards the car. Slowly, Maddie followed, still curious about his behavior. They both shut their doors and silently put on their seatbelts. Travis backed out of the parking lot and Maddie muttered the directions to him. He pulled in front of a high one-story building, the car still running as he pulled against the curb. Maddie watched as he kept his eyes forward, slouching in his seat, his elbow perched against the door as his fist dug into his cheek, the other hand grasping the steering wheel. Maddie hadn't really understood what had made him so sullen, but his team had won the game, and if watching her dance would really make him happy, then she reluctantly agreed to let him.

She sighed heavily. "Park the car and come inside," she instructed. Travis perked up and widened his eyes. He nodded and pulled into the small parking lot besides the building. As Travis put the car in park, Maddie unbuckled her seatbelt. She searched through her bag for her key.

"So, you have a key to this place? How?" he asked.

"Connections," she said with a shrug as her fingers wrapped around a keyring. "Mom's friend from the diner her daughter works here. She helps teach ballet to five year olds. Mom told her how much I loved coming here to dance—plus the daughter loves me, so that helps—so she gave me an extra key to come whenever I wanted. I like coming when the place is empty so I can blast my music."

The two of them exited the car and walked towards the building. While Maddie fixed the key into the lock, she looked up at Travis briefly, growing a crooked smile.

"Hey, that was a good game today. Guess you were right. Baseball's interesting," she said. Travis smirked.

"Of course I was right," he said. Her smile dropped and she rolled her eyes.

"And of course you would just kill the moment," she sighed. She pushed through the door, and Travis reached over to hold it open for her.

"And now I'm being a gentleman. The mood has been revived," he chimed. Maddie rolled her eyes. "So, are you going to dance in your short shorts, because that is pretty sexy. Are there any poles in here?"

"Boob!" Maddie cried in disgust. "Can you please, for _once_, get your mind out of the gutter?" Travis fell into an uncontrollable laughter and Maddie was regretting inviting him. Why didn't she expect this? Travis Mitchell was still Travis Mitchell nonetheless.

"You can leave," she snarled, reeling on him, poking her finger into his chest. He threw his hands in the air defensively.

"Sorry, sorry. I'll keep my mouth shut," he said sheepishly. She sighed and pressed her palm to her forehead.

"You should just leave. This was a mistake."

"What? No way. I really want to see you dance again. I'm sorry. I won't make any dumbass remarks. This isn't a strip joint. I got it." Maddie gave him a warning glare before she continued on her way. She turned into a room and Travis followed.

"Stay here," she instructed. "I'm going to go change out of my shorts." Travis grew a twisted grin.

"Why don't you just—" Maddie's hard glare shut him up and he zipped his lips, pretending to throw away the key. She turned on her heel and walked down the hall to the bathroom, unlocking it with her skeleton key. She placed her bag on the counter and pulled out a pair of black tights. She slipped off her shorts and pulled on her tights in their stead. She held her shorts up and looked at them for a while.

"They're not that short, are they?" she questioned before rolling her eyes and stuffing them in her bag. She then stared at herself in the mirror, sighing heavily. She began to question herself about even allowing Travis to take her to the baseball game in the first place. What was wrong with her? Why was she admiring Travis's looks involuntarily? Why was she letting him watch her dance?

She assured herself she held no affection for him. They were enemies. They always had been, they always would be. Perhaps they didn't hate each other as much as they used to, but they definitely still did. Travis still teased and mocked her, Maddie still resented him. They would never be friends. That was final.

She nodded at herself in the mirror, shaking her hair out of her face, gathering it to one side of her shoulder, and then pushed it behind her on her second opinion. She glared at herself and shook her head, unsatisfied with her look. She parted her hair and brought it to the front, over her shoulders as it reached just above her elbows.

"Oh my God, what is wrong with me?" she exclaimed. She knew what she was doing. She was trying to look good for Travis. Groaning, she shook her head violently so that her hair fell naturally. It looked a tad messier than it had before and Maddie nodded. She wouldn't look pretty for Travis. Grabbing her bag, she stormed out of the bathroom. She appeared in the room where Travis was slouching on the floor, one leg outstretched, the other folded up. His iPhone rested in his hand, his thumb scrolling over it. He looked up at her, arching his eyebrow.

"Finally. There's my beautiful monster," he said with a smirk.

"I'm not beautiful!" she exclaimed defensively. Travis was taken aback. So was she. "And … and I'm not _yours_," she added.

"Well damn. Sorry," he said. She rolled her eyes and she dropped her bag next to him, her iPod in her hands. She walked towards the stereo and hooked her old iPod up to it.

"You need an upgrade. Badly," Travis mentioned. She hissed at him and he rolled his eyes, falling quiet. She scrolled to her dancing playlist and pressed Play. Music began to pour from the speakers of the stereo and Maddie closed her eyes, pretending Travis wasn't even there. The music helped her quickly forget him as her body gently swayed to it. James Morrison's musical voice wrapped around her, guiding her through her freestyle contemporary dance. She extended her arms and jumped into the air, landing on one foot at a time, then falling to the floor and caressing it, her eyes still shut. She knew this dance floor better than anyone.

Hours passed of Maddie's dancing and when her latest song ended, she opened her eyes, almost jumping when her eyes met Travis's mesmerized face. She had forgotten he was watching her.

"Damn. Holy hot damn. That's … amazing," he said, baffled. Maddie glared and blushed, but she wasn't mad at him. She just hated being embarrassed. "You're seriously the best dancer I've ever met."

"Thanks," she muttered. Travis climbed to his feet and walked towards her, his cleats echoing off of the mirrored walls. "I guess you're a really good ballplayer too." Travis laughed.

"You guess?"

"Fine. You _are _a really good ballplayer. The _best_," she said.

"Music to my ears," he joked. She rolled her eyes.

"The way you pitch is really graceful," she blurted. Suddenly, she narrowed her eyes. Why had she said that? Travis wouldn't understand what she meant. Just like she thought, Travis's face twisted with confusion as he was taken aback.

"What?"

"Nothing," she said quickly, averting her gaze to the floor.

"How could pitching be _graceful_?" he asked.

"Forget it."

"I want to know."

"I said _forget it_!" she shouted.

"No! I want to know what you meant," he shouted back.

"You wouldn't understand anyway! Why waste my breath?" Maddie snapped. "You don't understand dance." Travis rolled his eyes.

"Well then, you don't understand baseball. Pitching isn't graceful. It's _powerful_ and _tactful_," he snapped back.

"Something can be graceful and powerful and tactful at the same time," Maddie said.

"So, are you done? You want a ride home or are you going to walk?" Travis suddenly asked impatiently.

"_Wow!_ Really? Guess my dancing wasn't that great if you want to get home so fast. Got a girl waiting to be screwed?" she snarled.

"What the _fuck_ is your problem?" Travis boomed. "Where did that come from? Do I look like a player?"

"Yes."  
"Oh, okay. We're going to play at each other's faults? Then what about you? You're poorer than a hobo and your daddy left you because he wanted more action from other sluts than to raise a couple of brats." Maddie's eyes widened and she backed away, tears immediately pooling at the edges of her dark blue eyes.

_"I hate you!"_ she shrieked. Travis glared.

"Tell me something I _don't_ know," he snarled. "I take it you're walking. Awesome. I didn't want you in my car anyway, monster." He began walking towards the door and Maddie fell to her knees, memories of her father walking out on her mother, herself, and a one-year-old Melinda. They were memories Maddie hated reliving, and, thanks to Travis's reminding, she was experiencing the pain. She hated him. She hated both of them: Travis and her father. She listened to his cleats echo down the hall before she shouted out to him.

_"You fucking bitch!"_

She fell into an uncontrollable sob, holding herself. She knew nothing good would come to spending too much time with Travis. At least she wouldn't ever find him attractive again, and she knew for sure she'd always hate him.

She was beginning to regret not socking him in the face when a hand rested on her shoulder. She gasped. If Travis was back, she'd for sure punch his brains out. She quickly looked up but saw no one reflected in the mirrored wall. That only meant one thing.

"Shh, Maddie," said the handsome deep voice as she felt his figure bend down to her height and press against the back of her body. She felt his breath on her neck and his voice whispered in her ear. "Tell Claude all about that nasty douche bag jock. Tell me in my arms just how much you hate him."


	19. Chapter 19

**_Vampire Kisses fanfiction  
PLASTIC PROMISES  
_Claude Sterling/OC: Madeline Torrent  


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**Chapter 19.**

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Claude spooned his body against the back of hers, feeling the utmost joy in being in her presence again. Her lusty scent gathered in his nostrils and he smiled sincerely at her puzzled expression, curious and frightened as to why he was here. But Claude looked past her expression and only saw what he wanted to see. Maddie was safe in his arms. She was comfortable in his arms. She wanted to stay in his arms.

He felt Maddie tear away from his light grasp around her, feeling his arms being replaced by nothingness. His pleasured smile frowned.

"What are you doing here?" asked Maddie, narrowing her eyebrows suspiciously at him as she backed away from him. Claude managed to hide the frustration that filled his mind at her crawling away from him, as if he were a terrifying beast, and grinned again.

"Call me your guardian angel, if you want. I'm here to make sure you're feeling fine. I can make you feel fine," he assured in a smooth and silky voice, but Maddie wasn't buying it.

"You're a vampire, not an angel. Angels are full of purity and goodness. You don't think I've ever read a vampire book? All you want to do is suck my blood," Maddie spat. Claude's face twisted with fury for a split second before returning to its former nonchalance and calmness.

"True, I long to suck the blood of humans, but I've made a pact with my insolent cousin. It's to protect you from him that I've decided not to drink from your kind anymore. Ironic, isn't it?" Claude smirked. "Ironic that I would fall for a human such as yourself …"

"I don't believe you," Maddie said warily, unsure whether or not to believe _herself_. Claude smirked again and stepped towards her as Maddie quickly got to her feet.

"You don't sound too confident," he pointed out.

"I _don't_," Maddie said again, more firmly. "I know why you're here, and it's not to protect me from some jerk-off who goes to my school. You're thirsty, aren't you?"

"Need I repeat myself?" Claude said, annoyed. "I'm not drinking from humans anymore. In order to keep seeing you and to assure you're safe from my loser cousin, I've got to stop drinking from humans."

Maddie stared at him for a long while, her eyebrows still narrowed in confusion. She remained skeptical about his words, but Claude could also see how baffled she was because of them.

"Let me take you out for some coffee," he suggested. "You're not doing so well. That bastard really got under your skin." Claude held out his hand to her, insisting she take it. Instead, she stared at him again, the hurt still glazed over her beautiful dark blue orbs, and he read on her face the surprise from his understanding. Claude smiled widely and more sincerely, stepping towards her again, hand still outstretched. She stayed in place, looking in his eyes, before glancing down at his hand and hesitantly taking it with her own.

"Are you going to fly us to the coffee shop?" she asked, jokingly. Claude grinned and squeezed her dainty hand.

"Only if you want to," he replied cleverly. Finally, he saw a small smile play across her lips. "Or we could save it for a later date," Claude added. Maddie couldn't help but laugh.

"Date? No, this is just a pity coffee so I can express all of my sappy feelings to you, but I don't even like that latter," Maddie said.

Claude smirked. "Well, I'll make this 'pity coffee' something you won't regret. I'm all ears tonight." He entwined his fingers with her, his long, pale, spidery fingers sporting many onyx skull rings and black fingernails. Maddie pulled her hand away from his and Claude frowned at the absence of her touch.

"Could we just do this as … _friends_?" She had difficulty even saying _that_ word. Though Claude was impatient to getting her to fall in love with him, he nodded with another smile and motioned for the door.

"Fine by me," he lied smoothly.

"Thanks," Maddie muttered, and, after gathering her things, led him out of the door.

Claude walked closely beside her as they made their way out of the dance studio. To passers-by, they would have appeared as a couple, with the way Claude looked down at Maddie so affectionately.

They rounded the parking lot, and Claude could smell the familiar scent of that jock boy who'd hurt her. Claude had eavesdropped on the entire situation. In fact, he'd witnessed it too. Hanging from a high beam of the ceiling was himself transformed into a black bat, eyes dark and brown and leering. He'd watched Travis's eyes trace Maddie's every motion, completely mesmerized by her dancing, just as he was when he'd first watched her dance.

And now Travis was watching him with a burning envy as Claude walked beside Maddie from his slick Beemer. He smirked at Travis, before grabbing a hold of Maddie's waist and pulling him towards his side. Maddie widened her eyes at him, not noticing the BMW or Travis's outraged expression.

_"Excuse me!"_ she exclaimed, pushing him away. "Nobody said you could hold me there."

"Oh, so I am allowed to hold you in general?" asked Claude with a grin.

Maddie groaned. "No. I mean … ugh. Let's just keep our hands to ourselves, okay?"

"Hmm … that's kind of hard not to. You're quite beautiful, Maddie," Claude complimented.

"Stop." She reeled in front of him, glaring. "You're making me really regret coming with you. I've already made one stupid mistake tonight. Don't let me make another."

Claude smiled exquisitely, and he could tell by Maddie's face that even she was stunned by his beauty. He caressed her cheek, and she'd let him. _Finally_ his charm had worked on her.

"Oh I wouldn't let you make _any_ stupid mistake. Not with me," he murmured in her ear, eyelashes almost grazing his cheeks from lowering his eyelids. Maddie's eyes widened, falling under his spell, before she snapped herself out of it.

"Let's just go," she muttered and turned her back on him, speed-walking away from him. Claude crossed his arms over his chest and smirked, walking at his normal pace and catching up with Maddie in no time, praising himself for having Maddie in the palm of his hand.

They entered the lowly lit coffeehouse, which wasn't as crowded as it normally was, surprisingly. Normally, the coffeehouse was so overcrowded, one would think it was the only coffeehouse in town.

"Fetch us a table near the back and I'll get you a drink. What would you like?" he murmured in her ear.

"Just … anything," she said. "I don't really care."

"A girl who is not picky. I quite like that," Claude mused. Maddie narrowed her eyes.

"Shut up." Claude expected her to argue about getting a table near the back of the coffeehouse, but she said nothing and did as he requested of her. Again, Claude mentally praised himself. Once Maddie had fallen in love with him, he'd change her, and then neither he nor his friends would have to worry about not feeding on humans anymore. What was Alexander going to do to him once his human lover was turned vampire?

Full of pride, Claude stepped into line and decided to purchase a white chocolate latte for his "girl." He retrieved the soothingly warm paper cup and brought it back to Maddie. He found her in a secluded area where hardly any light shone on them. He liked her decision … a lot.

"Very nice choice," he mused, sliding into the wooden glazed chair across from her, slipping her her coffee.

"I just figured with you being a vampire and all that you'd prefer less lighting," Maddie said with a shrug. "Thanks … for the coffee, I mean."

"My pleasure." Claude perched his elbows on top of the table and entwined his fingers together to create a pedestal for his chin, pursing his pierced lips. "And that was quite considerate of you to consider my disliking towards great light. However, the darkness does preserve some romantic qualities as well."

Maddie had lifted the cup to her lips, but suddenly glared at his statement. She lowered the cup slightly before snapping, "I'll turn on this light to full blast if you don't quit."

"I'm stopping," Claude chimed. "Enjoying your coffee?"

Maddie sighed. "Yes. It's relieving me from that irritating conversation I had with Travis. You'd been eavesdropping, hadn't you? That's how you knew he was being such a douche."

"But you dance so beautifully. I couldn't help but stop by."

"Ah, so you followed me."

"Merely just to look out for you."

"Hmm … somehow that just does not fit with me. I wonder why that's so hard to buy?" she said sarcastically.

"Believe what you want, Maddie. Sooner or later you'll find out that I tell the truth," Claude said. He could already hear his comrades laughing hysterically at this. Since when did Claude Sterling ever tell the truth?

But he hadn't been lying about his feelings for Maddie, that much was certain.

"Yeah. We'll see …" she muttered, and took another sip of her coffee.

"So I take it the subject is your father is rather touchy for you, isn't it?" Claude asked sincerely. Maddie looked down at her cup, her eyes being shielded by her eyelids.

"He left us just when my sister turned a year old. He was a loser from the start, though. I don't know why Mom even married him. Maybe it was because they were high school sweethearts … I don't know. Maybe he was different back then. I only knew him as a complete bastard who drank and smoked practically every day. He was addicted to strip clubs, and he was also addicted to sex." Maddie shuddered. "Yeah, it's a touchy topic. I don't really like talking about it."

Claude's gaze upon her was saddened, and he genuinely felt his heart go out to her. He was rich and royal and had _both_ of his parents, but he was also born a half-vampire, a reject of both the vampire world and human world. Fitting in was his problem. And he was always envious of Alexander, who had everything he wanted. He had the love of his parents and his grandmother. He got all the better toys. He got all of the attention. Claude never could stand Alexander and his goody-two-shoes personality. Claude was a rebel because he sought attention. But he never was happy. It was the empathy of his three other half-vampire friends, Tripp, Rocco, and Kat, that made him truly happy.

But now Maddie's presence made him happy too, and hearing that she was confiding in him a dreadful part of her life made him ecstatic inside. He wanted to make sure that he'd make Maddie happy, even after when he changed her.


	20. Chapter 2O

**_Vampire Kisses fanfiction  
PLASTIC PROMISES  
_Claude Sterling/OC: Madeline Torrent  


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**Chapter 20.**

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Claude walked her up to her apartment complex after Maddie's "pity coffee" outing. She was genuinely surprised at how much she'd actually enjoyed the night with him, and at how much better she felt after Travis had insulted her with the use of her father.

Maddie adjusted the strap when they arrived at her front door, and sighed heavily. "Thanks for walking me home," she said, avoiding Claude's gaze. She wasn't sure how she wanted to say goodnight to him after a cheerful and fun time he'd given her. What would he expect? A mere wave or an intimate kiss? She shuddered at the thought of kissing Claude goodnight. She wasn't even sure if they were friends yet, and she wasn't sure if she'd actually forgiven him for what he did to her in the alley.

"Of course," Claude said with a grin. "What kind of gentleman would I be if I didn't walk his lady to her door?"

"But I'm _not_ your lady," Maddie corrected. Claude's grin widened.

"Just something my parents taught me. I was merely using their words, of course," he added. Maddie rolled her eyes. "So, will we be doing this again?"

She remained quiet for a brief moment, contemplating whether she'd want to see Claude again. For the longest time she'd wanted him out of her life, but after tonight, she couldn't help but feel a tiny desire to see him again.

"I'll have to think about it," she finally said. "I did have fun, though …" she added softly. "I guess you surprised me."

"So the fact that I'm a vampire has held no effect on you. How grand," Claude chimed. Maddie rolled her eyes again, but she couldn't help but agree with him. She admitted to fearing at the very first mention of him being a vampire, when she hadn't seen his reflection in the dance studio mirrors, but afterward, the fact that he was a vampire didn't even seem to bother her anymore, at least not like an average human. He became more of a pest than anything.

"That doesn't change how annoying you are," Maddie muttered, hoping to bring a frown to Claude's much too happy expression. She failed.

"Call me when you want to meet. There are many places to go to at night. I could take you to one of my favorite clubs, the Coffin Club—"

"Okay, I haven't even said yes to getting together again or not," Maddie interrupted, agitated. "Fine. I'll call you, but don't be expecting one any time soon." Claude chuckled.

"'Night, love," he murmured before pressing his lips to her head and walking down the steps of her fire escape. Maddie blinked numerously. Had Claude really kissed her head? And did he just call her _love_? Curious, she leaned over the railing and watched him walk down the stairs.

"Why don't you just fly down? Aren't you flying home?" Maddie blurted. She hadn't known what possessed her to act so interested in him. She certainly didn't want to give him ideas.

Claude smirked and folded his arms. "Eager to see the power of the vampire, are you?" he asked. "All in a matter of time, darling." His pet name threw Maddie off again and she scowled at him.

"I'm not eager to see _anything_. I was just curious," she said defensively. He shook his head and, when he reached the bottom of the stair, he'd disappeared into the shadows of the buildings. Suddenly, a screeching black bat flew past her face, startling her. She stepped back and followed it with her eyes, watching it fly past the moon and over the buildings, disappearing into the city sky.

Once the bat was gone, Maddie shut her eyes briefly and placed a hand against her forehead, shaking her head.

"If you fall in love with that guy, Maddie Torrent, you will officially be the most ridiculous and pathetic girl on the face of the planet," she said to herself before turning to unlock the door.

* * *

The next morning, Maddie woke up to the smell of her mother's egg omelets and sizzling sausages. The Saturday morning sun blared through her window, hitting her in the face. She squinted and shielded her eyes from the sun with her palm as she tossed the sheets off of her. She sat up and sighed heavily. What had happened last night?

Oh, right. The baseball game, the dance studio with Travis, and the coffee shop with Claude.

And then she remembered Claude kissing her on the head. His affection made her stomach curl and she shook her head.

"Don't even think about it, Madeline," she scolded herself as she padded out into the main room in her pajama shorts and wife beater.

Melinda was already sitting at the breakfast bar, Halo curled in her lap, and a plate of egg omelets and sausages in front of her. She was absentmindedly scratching Halo's ears as she ate her omelet. Her mother smiled brightly when she saw Maddie walk into the kitchen, taking a barstool beside Melinda.

"'Morning, baby girl," her mother chimed. "How many omelets for you?"

"A couple," Maddie said, picking up a pen from the counter and twirling it around with her fingers.

"So did you enjoy your date with Travis Mitchell?" teased her mother as she flipped her omelet in the frying pan. Maddie's face twisted with disgust. Like hell it was a date. It was anything _but_ that. She didn't even like hearing his name at the moment.

"It was _not_ a date. Who told you that?" Maddie demanded before looking down at Melinda with narrowed eyes. Her younger sister looked up at her, her eyebrow arched.

"Why are you looking at me like that?" snapped Melinda.

"Because you told her I went on a date with that boob," Maddie snarled.

"I did not!"

"You so di—"

"Girls!" Lucy Torrent boomed, narrowing her eyebrows at her two girls. "Can we drop it? I'm sorry I called it a date, Maddie, but you really shouldn't be getting so defensive. It's not that big of a deal."

"It so is, Mom!" Maddie exclaimed. "That guy's a real douche. I can't believe I went to his ballgame in the first place."

"Language, Madeline," her mother scolded. "What happened?"

Maddie sighed heavily and then stubbornly pouted, leaning back in the stool. "Nothing. It's nothing."

"Yeah right," scoffed Melinda. "You just called the guy a bad name. Come on, tell us what happened."

"He brought up Dad, okay?" Maddie spat. "We got angry at each other and he began talking about Dad." The kitchen was silent, mind the sizzling of the omelet and sausages.

"You're right. The guy is a douche," Melinda muttered. Her mother gave her a stern look before gazing upon her daughters sympathetically.

"What did he say, sweetie?" she asked Maddie.

"Does it matter? He brought him up. I should have punched him in the face."

"Or the balls," Melinda added.

"You're right, Maddie," Lucy said before Maddie could agree. "It doesn't matter what he said. But you're a strong girl—you both are. Don't mind anything people say about your father. He's not in our lives anymore. We're making it just fine on our own."

She leaned over the counter and kissed both of her girls on the forehead before hurrying back to the stove to get Maddie's breakfast.

"I'm sorry your night didn't go so well," her mother said as she brought Maddie's plate.

"Well, it turned out better," she slowly admitted, cutting her omelet with the side of her fork. "I met with this guy …"

"Someone you didn't know? Maddie, you know how I feel about—"

"Yeah Mom, I know. But I already knew him, so he isn't exactly a stranger. I've known him for a couple of months now," Maddie explained.

"How do you know him?"

Maddie's breath caught in her throat. She couldn't tell her mother that she'd met Claude in an alley after he'd tried to suck her blood.

"He's … just a friend," she said, trying to keep her tone steady and casual. Her mother pursed her lips. Maddie sighed. "I met him at the studio."

"Oh." Lucy's eyebrows rose. "He's a dancer too?"

Maddie wasn't sure it Claude really did dance or not, but how else would the story make sense if she met him at the studio? Unwillingly, Maddie lied again.

"Yeah."

"Your style?"

"Uh … all styles," she improvised. Her mother smiled.

"Well, alright. When can we meet him?" She winked at Melinda, who grinned in return. Maddie rolled her eyes.

"We're just _friends_. It's not as if he's my boyfriend," she said.

"So? I'm your mother. I'm entitled to meeting your friends. What's he like? Is he anything like Travis?"

"God forbid," Maddie exasperated. "No, he's nothing like Travis. He's more … Uncle Lucian's type." Maddie's mother straightened her back and crossed her arms.

"Ah. He's into the goth stuff, isn't he?" she asked. Maddie nodded.

"Yeah, definitely."

"Well, bring him over some time. He must be a fan of Vampires Walk Naked if he's into the goth scene. Heavy metal must be his calling. Maybe Lou can come over too."

"Mom, no. You don't need to call him to meet my … _friend_," she said.

"Sure I do. It would be nice for him to meet one of his idols."

"I never even said he liked Vampires Walk Naked. What if he doesn't even like that band?"

Maddie's mother shook her head. "Highly doubt it. What's the boy's name anyway?" she asked, changing the subject.

"Uh, Claude. Claude Sterling."

"Hmm … an old-fashioned name. Bring him over some time, lovey. I'd like to meet your new _friend_."

Maddie rolled her eyes as her mother smirked at her before turning her back to clean the dishes in the sink. She sighed heavily as Melinda leaned in to her ear and whispered, "I don't think she believes he's just your _friend_."

Maddie groaned. "Ya think?" she said sarcastically.


	21. Chapter 21

**_Vampire Kisses fanfiction  
PLASTIC PROMISES  
_Claude Sterling/OC: Madeline Torrent  


* * *

**

**Chapter 21.**

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Maddie finished her weekend homework and announced to the household that she was going to the studio. She hurried into her bedroom to change out of her pajamas and into her dancing clothes. She pulled out a pair of black spandex shorts, replacing her pajama shorts with them. She pulled her wife beater over her head and slipped on a white v-neck in its stead. She grabbed a pair of navy blue exercise pants and then slipped her feet into some ballet flats. Maddie quickly brushed her hair before grabbing her tote bag and exited to the main room.

"Are you going to meet Claude there?" asked her mother from the couch, the television turned to a soap opera as she sewed a hole in one of Melinda's old shirts. Maddie rolled her eyes.

"Why do you care, Mom? And, _no_, I'm not," she said defensively.

"I'm just curious, Maddie. Jeez," her mother replied. Maddie was taken aback and gave her a look. She sighed heavily.

"I'll be back later," she grunted, and walked out the door.

* * *

Maddie hadn't realized how late it had gotten by the time she'd finished dancing. The sky was already dimming to a dusky persimmon as the sun was setting. She'd left her house around three; had she really been here for three hours? She sighed and wiped her forehead. Perhaps it was time to get going.

She pulled out her extra clothes. She was amazed at how much she'd soaked her shirt with her sweat. She lifted her shirt over her head and reached for the spare tank she'd brought. She looked at herself in the mirror, scratching the back of her head. Her eyes involuntarily drifted to the doorway of the room.

Her body froze when she saw Claude standing there, an elbow perched against the open doorframe, holding his weight as he leaned against it. His dark eyes were wide with surprise, his pierced lips wanting to form a smile.

_"What are you doing here?" _Maddie screeched, quickly covering herself by shielding her body with the tank top. Claude shook his head and chuckled nervously.

"Uh, I was … uh, just leaving," he stammered. Maddie glowered.

"Like _hell_ you were," she hissed. Her blue eyes glared with such malice as she quickly slipped the shirt over her head and stomped towards him. "Enjoying your show, are you? I'll teach you something about peeping. I don't care if you're a vampire or not. I can totally kick your ass!"

"Now, now," Claude said, holding his hands up defensively. "Maddie, calm down. It was nothing. I didn't see anything. You're overreacting."

_"Overreacting?"_ she repeated. "God! You're just as bad as Travis! And to think yesterday I was actually beginning to like you. You sick pervert."

"Maddie." Claude placed his hands on her shoulders. Maddie fumed.

"How _dare_ you touch me!" she exclaimed, and curled her fingers into a tight fist and swung it at his face. Before Maddie could even blink, Claude had caught her flying fist, wrapping his strong fingers around it. He looked down at her, concern crossing his face. Maddie's thoughts whirred with anger. What the hell was wrong with this guy? She supposed he was just like any other boy, human or not. They never passed up a time to see a girl underdressing. After last night, Maddie was insulted by Claude. What was he playing at?

"Maddie, I'm _sorry_. I was really watching you dance. I was already mesmerized by your movements. And then when you started taking off your shirt … well, what can I say? I'm a guy," he said.

"So that's your excuse? _You're a guy_?" She glared.

"I wanted to watch you dance. That's it. I'm not a mind reader. I don't know what you plan on doing next. How was I supposed to know you were going to change?" he asked. Maddie's lips pursed and her eyes darted from his to the floor, crossing her arms over her chest.

"You startled me. I didn't see you—I didn't _hear _you—I didn't know you were there. I wouldn't have changed right here. I thought I was alone." Claude smiled softly and caressed her jaw.

"I know. I'm sorry. Remember, I don't reflect back in mirrors. And my movement is silent to you measly humans." He smirked when Maddie scowled.

"Okay. I understand now. How'd you know I was here anyway?" she asked.

"How do you think?"

"Did you trace my blood scent?" she inquired. Claude nodded with a grin.

"I sure did. And when I found out you were coming here, I knew I had to follow you. Coming to the dancing studio could only mean I'd get to watch you dance again. You know how much I love that," he said.

"I didn't know you liked it that much," Maddie said. Claude nodded.

"I do. It might just be my new favorite thing," he mused.

"Next to what? Drinking blood?" Maddie scoffed.

Claude sighed. "How many times, love, do I have to tell you that I'm not drinking human blood anymore? I gave that up for _you_. You should be thankful, too; giving up blood is like becoming a vegetarian, and can _you_ live without meat?"

Maddie pursed her lips. "But this is different. You live amongst humans and drink from them. We don't live amongst cows," she said.

"Ever heard of a farm, love?" Claude pointed out. "And it is not so different at all. You and a cow—aren't you two different species?"

"Yeah …"

"Now, you and I? You are human, I am vampire. Aren't we two different species?"

"Okay, okay, I see your point," groaned Maddie. Claude smiled.

"So you see how hard this is going to be for me and my friends? Quite frankly, it's pretty selfish of me to agree to giving up blood for me and my friends just for some human girl."

Maddie gazed into his dark brown eyes, knitting her eyebrows together. She studied his handsome face. His skin was so pale from the lack of sun exposure, his eyes so endless with darkness, lips full with experience. The ring pierced in his lower lip glinted at her. His blonde hair was tousled, his natural black color streaking from his roots. Why was he sacrificing the thing he loved most for her? She couldn't understand. Why did he feel the way he did for her?

"Claude," she started, shaking her head in confusion. "Why are you doing this for me?"

Claude smiled at her and traced her lips with his thumb, his fingernail painted matte black, a silver band with intricate engravings around it. His fingers traversed up to her hairline, combing all of her hair out of her face, even her bangs.

"Oh Madeline," he mused softly. "You haven't figured it out? I'm in love with you."


	22. Chapter 22

**_Vampire Kisses fanfiction  
PLASTIC PROMISES  
_Claude Sterling/OC: Madeline Torrent  


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**

**Chapter 22.**

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Maddie stared at him, baffled by his words, but still not understanding _why_ he loved her. Really—_why did he love her?_ She couldn't understand it. She wasn't pretty. Sure, she was talented, but she wasn't pretty. Did he only love her for her blood? He'd said they shared a connection because of their blood type; did that have anything to do with loving her? Either way, Maddie didn't want to believe it. And she most certainly did not want to fall in love with him.

"Please stop," she begged, turning her back on him, wrapping her arms around her waist. "Why do … _love_ me?" She had trouble even saying the measly word. She felt Claude's cold hand press against her hot skin of her shoulder, gripping it with affection. She could feel him stuffing his face in her hair, sighing with pleasure, while his other arm wrapped around her waist over her thinner arms.

"Why do I need to explain?" he whispered. She looked at herself in the mirror before her, watching herself cradle her own bodice, the man behind her not existing in the reflecting glass. She closed her eyes tightly.

"Is it because of my blood? Is it because of that connection you said we had? Because of our blood type?"

She wished she could see Claude's reflection, so she could see his expression without having to turn and look at him. She only heard him sigh and felt his chin press against the top of her head, as if he were resting it on it. She wondered if he was looking at _her_ in the mirror. She immediately became insecure about her appearance. Was Claude studying her body?

Paranoid, she tore from his grasp and backed away from him, shaking her head.

"What? What's wrong?" he asked, genuinely confused.

"I just don't understand," she said. "I don't understand how you can love me. You don't _know_ me."

"When I met you by the alley … when I saw those big dark blue eyes …" He sighed and nodded, smiling. "Those beautiful eyes … they made me fall in love with you. They made me absorb your beauty, your delicate lips, your dainty nose, your curvy figure …"

Maddie's heart slammed against her chest as he continued to describe her features, and she felt her face redden. He thought she was beautiful? He thought her eyes were beautiful? Her lips? Her nose? Her figure?

"And your _blood_," he added, licking his lips. "You have the sweetest smelling blood I've ever smelled. And I've smelled a lot of blood, love." He grinned, sighing again. Maddie gulped and took another step back.

"So it _is_ because of my blood that you 'love' me," she said softly, surprising herself with her hurt-filled tone.

"No," Claude said firmly. "Your blood merely contributes. But I don't want to drink it, I _promise_." He stepped towards her. Maddie stumbled back until she collided with a wall. Claude loomed over her, placing a hand on the mirror behind her and caging her underneath him. His other hand stroked her face again. She didn't know why, but she felt her heart flutter, as if she secretly liked the touch of Claude's hand brushing her skin. Of course, she'd never admit it.

"Blood's got nothing to do with my love for you," he whispered, stroking her hair now, his fingers entangled in her long black locks. His face was getting closer and closer to hers, and her heart was beating faster and louder. She hoped that, even with his intensified hearing, he couldn't hear her nervous heartbeat.

Well, was she sure it was even nerves? What if her heart was beating so fast in excitement?

And then she remembered what she'd told herself last night after Claude had flown away bat-form.

_"If you fall in love with that guy, Maddie Torrent, you will officially be the most ridiculous and pathetic girl on the face of the planet."_

And this was only yesterday! How did her feelings change so drastically over night? Maybe it was the proximity of their bodies, the distance practically gone between them. Was that what was changing her feelings? Was that what was making her nervous—or excited? The closeness of his body?

She shook the thought from her mind. Claude didn't make her nervous or excited. He only annoyed her. She longed to get rid of him. She hated him turning up unexpectedly. He was nothing but a pest. She'd even said it today, not twenty minutes ago.

_Remember why you hate him,_ she told herself. _He almost sucked you dry of your blood in an alleyway. And just now he was watching you undress. _

She narrowed her eyebrows and looked at him warily. He arched an eyebrow.

"Do you still not believe me?" he asked.

"I … I don't know," she sighed. "It's just … really hard to trust someone like you. What you did to me in the alley … Do you know how traumatizing that was?" Her voice fell to a whisper. "I couldn't do anything without being reminded of that scary moment. I was jumpy at every touch, every sound, every shadow, afraid you'd pop out and try to eat me. I didn't know you were a vampire … Claude, I thought you were going to _rape_ me when you dragged me into the alley." She felt tears stinging the edges of her eyes, as she bit her bottom lip. She squeezed her eyes shut, forcing herself to bear through the memories she'd brought back. She could remember his hot breath on her neck, coaxing her that everything would be alright, murmuring that it wouldn't hurt, roaring that he was hungry when she questioned why he was doing what he was doing. She could remember the searing pain that had exploded in the back of her head when it had collided with the brick wall, opening a wound and allowing blood to pour and dry in her hair. She could remember the horror that squeezed her heart, the horrid memory emerging in both her dreams and while awake.

Claude's face had dropped and he had never looked so ashamed of himself. His hands retreated and backed away from Maddie, letting her breathe.

"Oh God," he whispered. "I can't tell you how sorry I am, Maddie."

"And I can't tell you when I can forgive you for that," she whispered back. Hurt smeared across his face, as if she had stung him with her words. She probably had, Maddie thought. But she had to remember what he did. If she gave in to his charms, she'd be forgiving him for what he'd done to her, and she wasn't ready to do that yet.

"I had no intention of raping you, Maddie," he said. "Do you want to know why I did what I did?" Maddie stared at him with wide eyes, and she was unsure whether she wanted to know or not, but he continued anyway. "When you looked at me with those eyes, you made something inside of me stir like crazy. As if there was a beehive in place of my stomach. And I didn't want to admit to falling in love with you at first sight. It was unthinkable. I, Claude Sterling, an all-powerful vampire, falling in love with a human? The very species I _feed_ off of?" Maddie cringed at hearing this. "I was in denial.

"And then I decided that the only way I was going to get you out of my thoughts was if I just offed you. If you were dead, I wouldn't have to worry about running into you and smelling your scent. If anything, I could satisfy myself drinking your delectable blood.

"But I chickened out. I didn't do it. I just couldn't. That's why I let you go. Your frightened eyes prevented me from even sticking my fangs into your skin. I couldn't do it.

"And then I realized that I had to accept my feelings for you. Long had I been in denial about being in love with you. But now—God, but now, you stand here before me dying inside because of that memory of me. They say vampires have no feelings—that they only feed off of lust and not love. Ha! Pitiful vampire fictions. I feel nothing but love when I gaze upon your face, Madeline Torrent. I'm saddened that I've taken away the chance for you to feel the same for me."

Maddie stared at him, long and hard, as he finished his explanation for why he'd done what he did. It was no excuse, but perhaps she couldn't understand because she wasn't a vampire. Maybe this was okay for vampires in their world. And Claude had expressed how unnatural it was for vampires to fall in love with humans, at least _he_ thought it was. And Maddie could see how unnatural it was too. Though they took on a humanoid shape, vampires _weren't_ humans. They were a different species with different views and different morals.

And Claude was giving up what he believed in to respect Maddie's views and morals by giving up blood.

Was it wrong to not forgive him since he was doing this for her?

She didn't know, and she didn't know what to tell him either. "Thank you for not drinking my species anymore? I really appreciate it?" Nah, that didn't suffice for her.

Claude sighed heavily and reached down to pick up her bag. He outstretched his arm to her to hand her it. Maddie took it and slowly walked towards him.

"Perhaps you could walk me home again," she suggested in a soft tone. "Now that we both know how the other feels, I guess we should just start over."

"Forgive and forget?" Claude said, arching his eyebrows. Maddie nodded.

"Forgive and forget."


	23. Chapter 23

**_Vampire Kisses fanfiction  
PLASTIC PROMISES  
_Claude Sterling/OC: Madeline Torrent  


* * *

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**Chapter 23.**

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Claude and Maddie walked back to her apartment in silence, the sky growing darker as the smoky persimmon orange began to fade. Maddie was curious as to how Claude could still walk about when the sun was out, but it was probably because the sun was so dull and almost gone that he was capable to walk about.

The entire scene that had happened in the dance studio had replayed itself over and over multiple times in her mind. Claude thought she was beautiful, and he was so utterly ashamed of what he had done to her in the alley. He even had the decency to explain why he'd done it and not make any excuses.

And now they were forgiving and forgetting everything that had happened. They were starting fresh, pretending that the night in the alley had never happened.

Maddie didn't know how to feel about him, despite what she'd said. Her heart wanted to catapult itself out of her chest whenever she was near him, whenever he loomed over her, when his eyes grazed her face. She knew what love was, but this really couldn't be it, could it? Could she really be sharing the feelings Claude felt for her for him?

Her apartment building came into view, the crumbly brick wall defiled with graffiti tags. The iron stairwell shined in the moonlight, gothic designs organized with the slabs of iron.

Her eyes suddenly narrowed when she saw a large rusty brown van parked in front of her mother's tiny sedan, the large vehicle making her mother's car looking more miniature than it already was. Maddie groaned and tilted her head back. Her mother didn't really—

"What?" Claude inquired, stopping and knitting his eyebrows together. "What's wrong?"

"It's my mother," she said, combing her bangs out of her face. "She wanted to invite my uncle because I told her that you guys had a lot in common."

"Is he a vampire?" chuckled Claude. Maddie rolled her eyes.

"No, but he wishes," she muttered.

"Well why did she invite him?" he asked.

"It's because she wanted to meet you. I told her that we hung out last night after Travis left. She asked what you were like, and I told her that you were like my Uncle Lucian. She thought it would be cute if she invited him so you'd have a reason to come."

"Lucian Torrent of Vampires Walk Naked, huh?" Claude grinned. Maddie sighed.

"Yeah, she thought you'd know his band," she said.

"I knew your name sounded so familiar. Bloody hell, the guitarist is your uncle. Your father's brother?"

"Hell no." Maddie scoffed. "Do you think my mom would be dumb enough to keep in contact with his psycho family? His brother's just like him. No, Uncle Lucian is Mom's brother. After the divorce, Mom legally changed her name back to her maiden name, and had Mellie's and mine changed too. She didn't want us to have anything to do with him."

"Ah," Claude said. "Well, he can't be so bad if he's your mother's brother, could he?"

Maddie chuckled. "No, Uncle Lucian is cool. My mom's just eager to meet you. She doesn't believe that you're just a _friend_." She rolled her eyes.

Claude grasped her hand and entwined his fingers with her own. Once again, Maddie felt her breath catch in her throat, her heart pounding with his touch. She gulped and looked at him, puzzled.

"After today, I'm not sure I want to be _just friends_ with you," he murmured, closing the distance between them. "I can hear your heartbeat, Maddie. You like it when I'm close to you. Close like this." He snaked an arm around her waist and pressed her body against his. Her eyes were wide and her cheeks flushed red. He could really hear her heartbeat? Maddie felt like dying on the spot from embarrassment.

But he was right. She liked his proximity. She liked her body touching his. It suddenly felt so … _right_.

"I-I don't know …" Maddie said hesitantly. She backed away from him, hoping the grip around her waist would loosen, but his arm remained. His eyes glistened with hope.

_Hope that I'll give in and agree to take this "friendship" (if that's really what you want to call it) to the next level?_ she asked herself.

He smiled at her, letting go of her hand to caress her face, musing her name. Her knees shook, and they almost buckled beneath her. How was Claude making her feel this way? Or were these her own emotions torturing her? Maddie had read about vampires having powers to charm their prey—could he be doing that to her right now? Was he casting her under a charm?

"Don't force anything on me," she said firmly, pushing herself away again, this time with success. He blinked, bewildered at her outburst. "I agreed to forgive you and forget what you did, but I never agreed to _this_."

"I'm only giving you what you like," Claude said innocently.

"Whether I like it or not, I don't want it right now." Claude's eyebrows narrowed and a coy grin spread across his lips, his silver lip ring glinted at her teasingly.

"Key words: _right now_. I'm glad to hear there will be a chance for me in the future," he chimed. Maddie groaned.

"Well, you and Travis do have _one_ thing in common; you like to switch my words around …" she grunted.

"I have nothing in common with that bastard. He's inconsiderate. He didn't even apologize for hurting you," Claude snarled. Maddie looked up at him. He was right and her heart went to him because Claude _had_ apologized for hurting her.

"And you did," she whispered. Claude smiled softly and touched her cheek again.

"That I did, love." He pressed his lips to her forehead, and Maddie, involuntarily, reached for the neck of his shirt, clutching it in her fists as she shut her eyes, feeling the soft warmness of his lips and the cold metal of the ring press against her skin.

Suddenly, the front door of Maddie's apartment swung open and the pair instantly looked up to see Melinda carrying a black garbage bag filled with trash.

"Mom was _totally_ right about Claude not being _just a friend_!" she exclaimed. Maddie's cheeks heated and she glared.

"Melinda!" she snarled. Melinda traipsed down the stairs, stuffing the bag into the cylindrical metal trash can. From above, Maddie's mother, Lucy, and her brother Lucian appeared at the front door. Her uncle towered over her mother with hair that was longer than Maddie's, even, dyed white. His eyes were bloodshot and outlined in thick charcoal, cheeks sunken in and skin very pale. He even had fangs to complete his vampire appearance. Lucian's thin body was draped in an ankle-length trench coat, a black tunic and baggy black trousers underneath. Both his waist and his combat boots were adorned with silvery chains that jingled when he walked.

Maddie sighed and pressed her palm to her forehead, sliding it down her face. "Well, thanks to _Melinda_, this has become so incredibly awkward."

"Maddie, invite your friend inside," Lucy insisted, flashing a charming smile Claude's way. "We'd love to get to know him."

Claude's eyes were wide when they landed on Lucian Torrent. A small smirk tugged at his pierced thin lips when he recognized his fan.

"Lucian Torrent of Vampires Walk Naked!" Claude exclaimed. "It would be my honor to stay a while longer in the Torrent household," he added with a more calm and collected voice. Maddie groaned.

"Jeez. Could you be more of a fanboy?" she hissed. Claude rolled his eyes and escorted Maddie to the stairs when Lucy beamed at Claude's excited accepting of the offer.

"Come on, Maddie. It'll be fun," he whispered in her ear. She rolled her eyes.

"Fine. Welcome to the Torrent home," she said monotonously, rolling her eyes as they walked up the iron steps.


	24. Chapter 24

**_Vampire Kisses fanfiction  
PLASTIC PROMISES  
_Claude Sterling/OC: Madeline Torrent  


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**

**Chapter 24.**

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Maddie was surprised at how much fun she'd had with Claude at her house. He'd bonded quite well with her uncle Lucian, just as her mother had predicted. Her mother and Melinda also really liked Claude too, especially because he was such a gentleman towards them. Melinda loved how he'd taken such an interest in her kitten, Halo, and her mother appreciated him preparing dinner.

However, there were many incidents that made Claude sound suspicious. When Claude and Maddie first settled down in her home, Lucy Torrent began to ask about Claude attending the dance studio. Maddie's face heated; she'd forgotten to tell him her story of "how they met." She expected him to give her a puzzled look, but he didn't. Instead, his lips spread into a smirk, his lip piercing glinting in the lamplight. She, herself, was rather the puzzled one.

"Oh yes," he said. "I've been going to the dance studio for a while now. I've been dancing ever since I could walk. And when I found out there was a dance studio here, I had to take advantage of it."

"Are you new here?" asked Maddie's mother.

"I've been living in America for almost a year, now," Claude explained. "I moved down here from the north side perhaps six months ago."

"Where did you come from?" Lucian asked.

"Romania." His grin grew wider. Maddie cocked her head to the side. Was he lying, or did he really come from Romania? Was it part of the vampire stereotype—originating in Romania?

"Really?" Maddie blurted. Lucy looked at her, slightly puzzled.

"You didn't know, Maddie? You said you knew him for a while," she mentioned.

Maddie rolled her eyes and felt a blush spread across her face. "Well, yeah, but I don't ask _everybody_ I know where they come from," she muttered.

Claude chuckled. "Yes, I come from Romania." He grinned at Maddie and she looked away.

A couple hours later, Maddie's mother began to start preparing dinner, and Claude insisted he help. Maddie wondered what Claude would be like handling human food. She was surprised to see him acting completely normal (in a human's point of view) around it, and then she began to question herself why she was wondering such a silly thing. She guessed it was because Claude was around humans and he favored the blood of them. But she reminded herself that he'd given up human blood for her; still, she didn't know whether to believe him or not.

It was when her mother insisted he stay for dinner that Claude looked nervous. Maddie's eyes widened at his expression.

"Oh, no, it's really not that big of a deal," he said.

"You must! You even helped me prepare for dinner!" her mother exclaimed.

"I couldn't let you do all of the work on your own. It looked like a lot to prepare," he said.

"Mom, really, it's okay," Maddie inputted.

"Besides, I'm needed at home. My family's probably waiting for me so they can start dinner," Claude explained. Maddie gulped and an image of Claude sitting with parents, a younger brother, and a younger sister at a dinner table with bowls of blood in front of them, fangs extended. She shook her head of the image.

"Are you sure? You could call your folks and let them know you're eating here," Lucian suggested. Claude smiled.

"That's really nice of you, but I've overstayed my welcome. Thank you for inviting me," he said.

"Well, alright. Thanks for joining us tonight," Maddie's mother said as she reached over to shake his hand. "It was nice meeting you."

"Likewise," Claude replied with a smile. Lucian stood and shook his hand. "And it was a pleasure to meet you, Mr. Torrent."

"Call me Lucian," he insisted. "And, if you'd like, I could get the band to play at the local club, the Coffin Club, next Saturday. You've been there, right? It's your type of place."

Claude's eyes widened with ecstasy. Maddie rolled her eyes. "That would be amazing. The club is my favorite place on the street," Claude said.

Finally, after saying goodbye to the family, Maddie escorted Claude outside and walked him down to the sidewalk.

"Sorry about them," she muttered.

"They're cool. I like your family. Your uncle is a genius, and your mum is quite nice," he said.

Maddie half-smiled and folded her arms over her chest. "Thanks. They really liked you," she said.

"I'm sorry I couldn't stay for dinner. Mashed potatoes and fried chicken goes outside my appetite," he said. Maddie nodded.

"I know. It's okay," she said.

They began to stroll down the sidewalk involuntarily as they continued to chat.

"So what _do_ you eat, now that you're not feeding off of humans?" she asked softly.

"I've turned vegetarian, like my cousin. He mainly eats animals, their meat rare and bloody. My friends and I have resorted to that as well, although they don't really appreciate me for doing so," Claude mentioned.

"So, you don't live with your family?"

"No. They're back in Romania. My friends and I reside in the local graveyard. Just letting you know, in case you ever wanted to visit." He gave her a smug smirk, eyes lustful. Maddie glared.

"No, thanks. I don't think I'm ready to sleep with a vampire in his coffin," she snapped with an eye roll.

"Don't worry. I'll wait until you're ready," Claude said coyly. Maddie groaned, but Claude reached for her hand gently, and she allowed him to. She looked up at him, his pale face illuminated by the moonlight above, his full lips pulled into a knowing smile as his lip ring shined. His dark eyes also smiled at her as his blonde and black hair fell over his face. She combed his bangs out of the way and smiled in return.

"So, what does this mean?" he asked her. "What do we call ourselves now?"

"What do _you_ want to call us?" she asked. Claude's smile grew as he squeezed her hand. Then, he leaned down and kissed her forehead, the coldness of the ring sending a light shock through her skin. She closed her eyes and felt Claude's ringed fingers graze her jaw. Was he going to kiss her lips now? Part of her anticipated his lips to collide softly with hers, waiting for that lip ring to smash against her flesh, waiting to tug at it gently …

Suddenly, she opened her eyes, wide. What in the world was she thinking about? _She_ truly wanted to kiss Claude? Shaking her head gently, she blinked numerously to wake her from these weird thoughts. Gulping, she looked back at Claude. He was looking down at her with curiosity.

"Everything okay?" he asked.

"Yeah, I'm fine," she replied, nodding. Claude's lips formed another smile as he pulled her against his chest, wrapping his leather jacket-clad arms around her, combing his black-painted fingers through her hair. His fingers grazed the scar he'd given her when he'd pushed her against the wall in the alley.

"I'm glad we're starting over," Claude said softly as he leaned against the wall of a building, not letting go of her body. He pressed her head against his chest and she listened for a heartbeat, but heard nothing.

"Yeah, me too," Maddie automatically replied without thinking of what she was saying.

"I've never felt this way for anyone, Maddie," Claude said suddenly, pushing her away so he could see her face. "Not even for another vampire girl. Funny how I'd first fall in love with a human. You're truly something, Miss Madeline." He stroked her cheek again before leaning down and pressing his lips against hers, and all doubt of falling in love with Claude vanished. Maddie felt the overwhelming joy that exploded from their mouths' collision and moved her lips with his. Her heart raced at an erratic rate as she unconsciously grabbed the edges of his open jacket and pulled herself against him.

She felt Claude's large hands cup her hips, sliding back to cup her backside. She jumped, but didn't part herself. She could feel his lips turn upward and her sensitivity.

Maddie never thought she'd enjoy something so greatly, particularly from someone who so greatly scarred her in the past, someone who was deathly afraid of. But, as Claude had said, they were starting over. She was forgiving and forgetting, and for what it was worth, she was glad she was doing it.

_Madeline Torrent,_ she said subconsciously, _you are officially the most ridiculous and pathetic girl on the face of the planet._


	25. Chapter 25

**_Vampire Kisses fanfiction  
PLASTIC PROMISES  
_Claude Sterling/OC: Madeline Torrent  


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**Chapter 25.**

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"About time you come back," chimed the voice of Rocco over the heavy metal music booming through the Dungeon, the legit vampire-version of the Coffin Club. His brawny figure was compressed in a blood red t-shirt that clung to his torso and a pair of hazardously torn skinny jeans, stud and missile belts hanging from his waist. His wild black hair was free of any knit cap and his ears sported skull gages. His arm was draped around the dainty shoulders of his girlfriend, Kat.

"Have fun with your toy?" she teased, crossing her arms over her chest, her dark purple lips forming a smirk as she chewed her bubblegum. Her petite, curvy body was fitted into a strapless corset dress that slowly jutted out into a tutu skirt, all of black color, the tutu consisting pink chiffon amongst the black. Pink string laced through the corset's front to match the chiffon skirt. Her feet were compressed in vinyl elevator thigh-high boots. Her short, jaw-length brunette hair donned a large black bow on the side of her head while tiny devil horns poked out from her hair.

Tripp rolled his eyes as he shook his head. "Leave him alone, guys. He doesn't tease _you_ when you're gone," Tripp defended. He was dressed in his usual attire of a white short-sleeved button-down shirt, black skinny jeans, and combat boots. Skull-patterned suspenders draped over his shoulders and connected the hem of his jeans. Many black stud belts hung around his thin waist as well, and his earphones were plugged into his ears, his own techno punk music blaring through them. He peered over his thick-rimmed rectangular glasses with an arched eyebrow at Claude. "But we do want to know what happened."

Claude rolled his eyes in return and dug his hands into the pockets of his pinstriped skin-tight trousers, flipping the hair from his face with a jerk of his head. He pressed his lips together as his eyebrows narrowed. The three of his friends anticipated his response.

Finally, Claude's lips pulled into a smirk, causing his friends the same reaction.

"I kissed her, and she didn't pull away. It's pretty official now," he said proudly.

"So you can turn her now and we can get off of this ridiculous vegetarian diet?" Kat asked impatiently.

"Relax, Kat. This is our first day. I don't think she'd be ready to be turned yet," Claude said.

"Not ready? Since when do _you_ care? You're the most impatient guy I know!" she exclaimed. Claude glared and Rocco rubbed his hand up and down her bare arm.

"Calm down, baby," he soothed. She glared at Claude before rolling her eyes and sighing, a sign of calming down from Kat.

"Give me at least a couple of months. It probably won't even be long enough to her, but she'll be so in love with me that she won't even care," said Claude. "Besides, her uncle thrives for darkness. He's Lucian Torrent of Vampires Walk Naked." The three of them widened their eyes.

"Is he now?" Tripp chimed. Claude nodded.

"He promised to give us a show up at the Coffin Club next weekend. I can bring Maddie with me so you guys could meet her."

"So we finally will get to meet the girl with the delectable blood," Kat said with a catlike grin. Claude frowned.

"No. You know what Alexander said; no more drinking from humans, at least not now. Don't worry, Kat. We'll regain our normal diet soon."

"We better. I'm sick of feeding off of birds and strays. I hate the taste of animals," Kat spat.

"I know. Let me do my thing, okay?" Claude said. Kat reluctantly nodded.

"So have you even _tasted_ her blood?" Rocco asked. Claude shook his head.

"No. I told her I wouldn't drink from her. But I will when she falls more in love with me. She'll want the sensation … they all do," he said.

"Some relationship," Tripp scoffed with a smirk. "Are you actually in love with her, or do you really just want to drink from her?"

"I _am_ in love with her!" Claude snapped angrily. "I've never felt anything like how I do with her. It's annoying, it's amazing …"

"Trust me, mate. I know how you feel," Rocco chuckled, grinning. He looked down at Kat, who returned his grin, and rubbed their noses against each other's. Claude and Tripp exchanged glances and rolled their eyes, however, when Claude looked back at them, he could see Maddie and himself in their places, rubbing their noses against each other's, no matter how sappy it was. He could still taste her lips on his, still feel the sensation her tongue presented when it grazed the front of his teeth, and then the edge of his fangs. His body grew warm and he realized he really wanted her at the moment.

"Claude?"

Claude shook his head and awoke from his daydream.

"Why are you staring at us like that?" Kat snapped, arching an eyebrow as she cracked her gum.

"I'm _not_ staring," Claude said defensively. She and Rocco exchanged glances and rolled their eyes. "I wasn't!"

"Whatever," she muttered. "Let's go get something to drink. I'm parched."

She grabbed Rocco's hand and dragged him away from the other two boys, heading towards the blood bar on the other side of the underground club. Tripp nudged Claude in the side as they watched the couple walk off.

"One day that'll be you and Maddie, huh?" he teased, grinning coyly. Claude rolled his eyes and shook his head, chuckling.

"I hope so. I don't think I could spend an eternity bonded to anybody else but her," he replied.

"Like her that much, do you?" Claude shook his head.

"Not like—_love_. I'm ridiculously in love with that damn human girl. I wonder what makes her so special anyway. I haven't figured it out. I mean, aside from her beauty, her talent, her blood … could there be anything else?"

Tripp shrugged. "Dunno. You're asking the wrong dude. You remember I've never fallen in love, right?"

"Oh, right …" Claude muttered. "Sorry, mate."

"Why be sorry? I'm free of those dumb love problems you love-struck guys have," Tripp mused. Claude chuckled.

"Yeah, lucky you, mate."

"But—and I'm not really one to talk about relationships—I'd think twice about biting Maddie, period. Not that I'm not against the new diet, because I definitely am, but if you love Maddie like you say you do, you'd do whatever it took to make _her_ happy, not yourself."

"I know," Claude said. "And I do love her. I just know that I'm going to love her for eternity, so why not bond together?"

"That's not what I meant. I know you want to drink human blood again. Don't use her to get that back," Tripp advised before walking off towards the blood bar to join their friends.

Claude knitted his eyebrows together. He _did_ love Maddie, and he _wasn't_ using her to get their regular diet back. It was just a plus that came along for the ride. He wanted to bite Maddie because his heart told him he'd be in love with her for the rest of his life. He wanted to _spend_ the rest of his life with her.

But he really did want his blood. The only thing that stopped him from drinking was the fear of never seeing Maddie again. Normally Claude wouldn't take Alexander's threats so seriously, but he did this time because it involved her.

So as he followed Tripp through the moshing crowds of vampires, he began to doubt himself about the real reason why he wanted to bite Maddie's neck.


	26. Chapter 26

**_Vampire Kisses fanfiction  
PLASTIC PROMISES  
_Claude Sterling/OC: Madeline Torrent  


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**

**Chapter 26.**

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Maddie sighed as she closed her locker, leaning against it with her books held tightly to her chest. Ever since Saturday night, she couldn't stop thinking about Claude. His kiss was so exhilarating; her entire body felt hot being so close. She loved the feel of his hands on her body, delicately smoothing the sides of her waist and the low of her back. She still couldn't believe she felt so excited about his affection, about their new relationship, as he was the one whom she feared for a long time. He was the one who almost drank from her, whom she thought was going to rape and then murder her.

The bell rang for class and the traffic worsened as students rushed through the hall to get to their designated classroom. She waited for the flow to decrease.

"Now why is Monster so smiley today?" chimed an annoying voice that pulled Maddie from her happy thoughts about her new vampire boyfriend. She turned and saw Erik, flanked by his usual jock clones. His brunette hair was shaggy and uncombed, his athletic build draped in dark jeans, pearly white Nikes, and a baseball jersey. Maddie rolled her eyes and glared. Though Erik was Travis's best friend, he had a knack of trying to take his high-ranked place in the school food chain when he wasn't around. Maddie could tell it got on Travis's nerves too.

"Well if it isn't Erik and his clan of cheerleaders," Maddie sneered with a smirk. It was Erik's turn to glare.

"Fuck you," he snapped. "Bet you're all smiley because Travis finally agreed to let you give him a blowjob last night, huh? We all know you're just _dying_ to jump in bed with him, poor guy." His buddies howled in laughter, along with himself, as Maddie rolled her eyes again. She knew the routine. Erik's snide remarks were nothing different from Travis's. It was what she got for not fitting in to a specific clique.

"Hmm … somebody looks like they're on their period. Would you like a tampon, Erik?" She narrowed her eyes at him and pursed her lips before merging in with the student traffic. Erik and his gang followed hot on her heels.

"So, who's next on your to-be-screwed list? I hope I am. I'd like to get laid tonight."

"Oh gosh. How desperate poor Erik must be," Maddie said sarcastically.

"Me? Desperate? Nah. I'm just doing you a favor, school slut," Erik sneered.

Maddie stopped in her tracks. _What_ had he just called her?

She spun on her heel and faced him, her eyes narrowed into slits, a fist curled tightly at her side.

_"Excuse me?"_ she hissed. Erik folded his arms over his chest and smirked, his buddies mimicking his action.

"You heard me, babe. _School. Slut._"

Suddenly, her fist was colliding with Erik's face. She felt a bone crack under her knuckles and when she withdrew her fist, she saw blood pouring from his nose. His friends were shocked and backing away from Maddie, actually afraid they'd get a broken nose as well.

_"You fucking bitch!"_ Erik spat as he plugged his nose with the back of his hand. Thick blood dripped to his lips and spilled over his knuckles. She wiped the blood she'd gotten on her fist on his jersey and smirked, actually proud of what she'd just done.

"Guess I've got a whole new meaning to my monster label, huh?" she snickered. "Now, now; you can't say you didn't deserve _that_." She pointed to his bloody nose with a tilt of her chin.

Erik continued to sputter profanities at her, and she glared, ready to hit him in an area where it'd _really _hurt if he called her a slut again. But before she could do anything, she saw a shadow loom over her, coming from behind. Erik glanced over her head before grinning smugly at her.

"Miss Torrent," boomed Mr. Bruner, the principal. Maddie silently groaned and turned her head, looking up to see his shiny bald head. His dark beady eyes glared down at her while his arms crossed over his chest. "My office. Now. Mr. Zeffer, please take your bloody nose to the nurse, and try not to drip any more blood on my floors."

Maddie glared at Erik one last time before she left with Mr. Bruner to his office. She sat across from him in a red office chair as he leaned over his desk, his hands folded together and set out in front of him. She stubbornly looked away, eyes still narrowed.

"Madeline, you know violence isn't tolerated here. You're a good kid, so I know that you know," Mr. Bruner began.

"Erik's just a jerk," Maddie muttered, crossing her arms over her chest. Mr. Bruner narrowed his eyes.

"That doesn't give you the right to hit anybody. Erik's nose could very well be broken because of your lack of restrain. I don't care if you get 'urges' or whatever you want to call them; it still does not make it okay to hit another student," he scolded. Maddie sighed.

"Okay, okay. I'm sorry," she said.

"I'll let you off easy by giving you detention for the rest of the week, but if you get into another fight, I'm going to have to suspend you. Do you hear?" he warned. Maddie sighed again and nodded. Her mother was not going to be pleased when she heard about this.

"Right. Now, go on and get to class. Remember; I'm watching you." Maddie eyed him warily before standing from the chair and exiting his office. When she stepped into the hall, she immediately ran into Travis Mitchell, who was already flustered and anxious.

"What the _hell_ is your problem? In case you didn't know, Erik is a vital part of the team! How could you just punch his face like that?" he shouted in her face, pinning her against the wall. Maddie was taken aback by his sudden uproar.

"Excuse me, but can you _get out of my face_?" she snapped, pushing him back. "And for the record, Erik deserved what he got. I'm not apologizing for what I did, and I could really care less for the _baseball team_."

Travis's face contorted with anger. "You're so selfish! Can't you think about anyone but yourself? Now we're out a second baseman!"

Maddie barked with humorless laughter. "_I'm_ so selfish? Hate to break it to you, bro, but the entire world does not revolve around you and the baseball team. Trust me, we're not going to die if Erik Zeffer can't play second base, although, maybe _you_ might, but you'd be doing the world a favor so—"

"Shut up, bitch," he snarled. Maddie's eyes widened.

"What?"

"Shut up! God, you are such a bitch."

"What the hell is your deal? So I broke Erik's nose. Big whoop! I'm sure I'm not the first one to have broken it. It'll heal. Why are you in my face? Get away from me!"

Travis scoffed and shook his head, glaring as he stepped away from her. Maddie narrowed her eyes at him suspiciously. What the heck was his problem? She understood him being angry about Erik's nose, but he acted as if Erik would never be able to play baseball ever again. She wasn't even sure how a broken nose affected his ability to play. He could breathe through his mouth, no problem.

Taking one last look at her, Travis stuffed his hands into the pockets of his letterman jacket and stormed off, heading to one of the classes they shared together. Maddie watched him, baffled.

"What the hell is his _problem_?"


	27. Chapter 27

**_Vampire Kisses fanfiction  
PLASTIC PROMISES  
_Claude Sterling/OC: Madeline Torrent  


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**

**Chapter 27.**

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Baffled by Travis's sudden outburst, Maddie watched him storm off, blinking numerous times before shaking her head. Whatever his problem was, she wasn't going to worry about it. She reverted back to thinking about Claude and his kiss, and perhaps a date he might take her on tonight.

She arrived at her class, pulling down her pale pink v-neck with the holes along the collar from where the moths had gotten to it. Along with her old pink blouse she sported one of her only pairs of skinny jeans (which were too small for her anyway) and ballet flats. She readjusted the strap of her book bag over her shoulder and combed a lock of pin-straight black hair behind her multi-pierced ear before walking inside.

"You too, Maddie? You're late," Ms. Hathaway said, clucking her tongue. "I suppose you and Mr. Mitchell had some business to attend to that was far greater than coming to class on time?" Her hawk-like eyes darted to Travis, who was stubbornly glaring at the top of his desk. Maddie rolled her eyes at him and shook her head at Ms. Hathaway.

"No ma'am. Mr. Bruner called me into his office," Maddie explained.

"Do you have a pass?" Maddie shook her head. "Then I'm going to have to mark you tardy."

"You can call Bruner. Trust me, he kept me late," Maddie insisted. Ms. Hathaway eyed her warily before sighing.

"Take a seat, Maddie," she said, giving in. Maddie nodded and turned to the class. She eyed Travis, who glanced at her for a split second before looking back down at his desk with a glare, and then scanned the classroom for an empty seat. Unfortunately, the only available desk was the one directly next to Travis. Maddie couldn't believe her luck and mentally groaned as she trudged towards the desk with reluctance.

Ms. Hathaway turned her back and began scribbling math equations for a warm-up to start the class. Maddie propped her book bag on her lap as she fished out her worn-out spiraled notebook and a wooden pencil. She noticed Travis with his crisp notebook and fancy mechanical pencil, scribbling down the problems Ms. Hathaway had written. Her thoughts of Claude immediately reverted back to her wondering what the heck was Travis's problem.

He noticed her looking at him and glared at her, his blue sapphires turning icy. Maddie glared back at him after she'd expressed a look of being taken aback and rolled her eyes, focusing on her math—at least she tried to.

Could he really be that upset about Erik's nose? Travis was a drama queen, but she didn't think he'd take something like that to such an extent. It's not as if Erik was really hurt. The nurse would probably be able to snap his nose back to normal and send him back to class after he'd washed up. So what could really be getting under Travis's skin?

Was it because of that night they had fought—the night she'd danced for him after his victorious game? They had exchanged some very nasty words—she'd expressed the lust he had for other girls and accused him of fooling around, and he'd brought up her loser father, which was a very touchy subject, something Travis even knew yet failed to respect. Even she was a bit upset that the night had ended so awful between them. She actually thought there was a very miniscule chance of getting over the grudge they shared since third grade and finally being friends. Maddie told herself that she was willing to give up the grudge, but only if he would.

And then, another thought came to mind. Had he somehow heard about her and Claude? Was that it? Was that why he was so angry? Her heart slammed against her chest at the thought of Travis Mitchell _actually_ being jealous of another because she held feelings for them.

She shook her head of the thought. No, that wasn't it. He couldn't be jealous of her new boyfriend. Travis Mitchell was _never_ jealous of _anybody_; people were jealous of _him_. Besides, Travis didn't like her. At all. He hated Maddie for embarrassing him in third grade. How could he be jealous of her boyfriend for being with her if he didn't even like Maddie?

Physically shaking her head, Maddie pushed aside all of those thoughts. She'd thought about it, and now it was time to focus on her schoolwork. She had to understand this lesson so she could do her homework at home. She did not want to spend two hours working on math homework alone.

However, in the end, Maddie could not understand the lesson. What was the lesson about, anyway? As Ms. Hathaway whizzed through the lesson, Maddie zoned out, lost and behind the rest of the students, who all appeared to be grasping the concept of whatever they were working on pretty well.

Ms. Hathaway assigned classwork, writing the page numbers and problems on the board, and instructed the students to open their math textbooks and begin working, whatever they don't finish left for homework. Maddie followed instruction and opened her book to the page number assigned, only to be met with equations she had no idea how to solve. She stared at the page, feeling nothing but stupidity as everyone else around her got to work.

For a slow start, she titled her page and copied down the first problem, but after that, she stilled and continued to stare at her page. She threaded her fingers through her hair as she glanced at her notes, desperately seeking a solution to her problem.

And then, without thinking, she glanced over at Travis, who was fast at work, speeding through the problems like they were simple 1+1 problems. It was then that she remembered that he had told her he was excellent at math (and at every other subject he took), having a 104 percent in this class. She bit her bottom lip as she contemplated asking him for help.

_No. Ask the teacher, Maddie, you dweeb. Why ask that baseball boob? He's already pissed at you. He's not going to help,_ she said mentally. She slowly raised her hand, but quickly withdrew it. For some reason, she didn't _want_ to ask Ms. Hathaway for help; she wanted Travis to help her. Puzzled at herself for preferring to ask Travis Mitchell for help rather than her teacher, she leaned towards his desk and tapped him on the elbow. He looked up, arching an eyebrow with irritation.

"What?" he snapped.

"I was wondering if … you could … _help_ me with this. I don't get any of it," she admitted softly. Travis was taken aback before he glared at her.

"No," he said flatly. Maddie's eyes widened. She should have known he wouldn't, but she pressed the matter further.

"Why not? Please, I really, really don't understand."

"So? That's not my problem. Why don't you go ask your new gothic zombie _boyfriend_ for help?" he snarled before curling over his desk to continue working.

Maddie was taken aback. She'd been right about him being jealous. _Travis Mitchell was jealous of Claude._ But then, the sudden thought came to mind, _how does he know about him?_ She'd never told him who he was, let alone how she felt about him, other than him being annoying just as much as Travis. But Maddie wasn't even thinking about that. She was just so baffled at the fact that he was jealous.

"You're _jealous_ of him?" she asked in disbelief. He looked up at her with narrowed eyes.

"I'm not _jealous_," Travis sneered. "Why the hell would I be jealous? I pity the guy, as a matter of fact, having a girl like you." Maddie glared.

"You wouldn't be saying that if you weren't jealous. Do you think I'm stupid?"

"Who cares about the entire thing? I'm not jealous, and I'm not helping you with your math. I don't even care if you have a boyfriend or not."

"Well, good! Because he's a better—" But Maddie's rushed whispering was immediately interrupted by Ms. Hathaway's scolding.

"Travis and Maddie, could you please save your conversation for outside of my class? Math doesn't require drama, so just do it," she snapped. Maddie and Travis bowed their heads, but glared at each other one last time before falling silent.

Maddie continued to struggle for the rest of the period. She'd attempted the first couple of problems, trying to follow the examples her teacher gave her, but she ended up using half of her pencil topper eraser getting rid of her mistakes. In the end, Maddie had given up and waited for the bell to ring, drawing little doodles at the bottom of her paper.

As the bell rang, the students around her closed their text books, most of them already finished with the classwork, and packed their things. Maddie stared at her paper, fingers yet again entangled in her hair, as she stressed about all of the homework she would have when she got home. There would be no seeing Claude today, that was for sure.

She sighed and slowly began to pack up her things. She was one of the last one out of the classroom, dreading her next class, stressing about the homework overload. Suddenly, she bumped into Travis yet again, and prepared herself for another outburst.

Instead, his eyes hardly met hers, as he pursed his lips and grasped the strap of his backpack.

"Meet me in the library after school. I'll help you with your math," he mumbled so softly, almost as if he hadn't want her to hear him. But she had, and her eyes widened.

"What? Are you serious?" she gasped. He nodded. "But … what about weight training?"

"Do you want the help or not?" he snapped.

"Yes, yes. I do. Jeez." She briefly narrowed her eyebrows at his attitude, but her expression quickly lifted. "Thank you, Travis. I don't know why you're doing it, but thanks." And, for the first time in a long time, she smiled at him, a genuine, thankful smile.


	28. Chapter 28

**_Vampire Kisses fanfiction  
PLASTIC PROMISES  
_Claude Sterling/OC: Madeline Torrent  


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**Chapter 28.**

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"Right. And then you just subtract X from both sides so you can get the variable on the same side, and you can do that with the number, too—yeah, like that," Travis instructed, leading Maddie step-by-step through a square root problem. She was beginning to understand more and more.

"The answer's twelve!" she exclaimed as she quickly scribbled down her answer. Travis nodded with a smirk.

"Yeah, it is. See? These equations aren't hard," he said, dropping his pencil on the table. Maddie smiled at her work. They'd finally finished the last problem of her homework, spending nearly all of their library time working on both her classwork and homework.

"Thanks Travis," she said, smiling at him. He scoffed and rolled his eyes.

"Don't worry about it," he said nonchalantly.

"No really, _thank you_. I know you're pissed at me right now, but it was cool of you to still tutor me," Maddie said.

"Well, you sorta suck at math. I couldn't let you fail. Then I wouldn't be able to take you to prom." He smirked that coy Travis smirk and Maddie felt her heart relax from the tension it was squeezed with during his cold attitude towards her. Now she knew he was back to the regular Travis, and Maddie never thought she'd feel so relieved. She hated fighting with anyone, but ever since Travis had watched her dance for the first time, he began to act a certain way towards her. He was still quite boobish, but there was another side to him, a nicer side, a side she actually liked.

Maddie rolled her eyes. "Yeah, you wish," she scoffed.

"Please. You'd totally go with me," he said smugly.

"No, because I'll probably bring my boyfriend," she chimed. Travis's smile fell, along with her heart. She shouldn't have brought Claude up. Immediately she regretted saying anything. The mood was ruined.

"Well, you're finished with your homework. I'm going to get going," he muttered and slung his backpack over one shoulder.

"Travis," Maddie called, standing up with him. He stopped and rolled his eyes at her. "Why do you care? Why do you care whether I have a boyfriend or not?"

Travis scoffed. "I don't. Why the hell would I care?"

"I don't know! You're making a big deal about it, getting all weird whenever he's mentioned. You tell me why you care."

"I told you. _I don't care_. You honestly think I would? Go have sex, get knocked up … I. Don't. Care." He turned his back before Maddie started to speak again.

"Is that why you don't want me to fail pre-calculus?" she said softly, arching an eyebrow in sadness. Travis stayed in his place, his back still facing Maddie. "I know you care, Travis. I'd be a moron if I couldn't tell. And don't think that I forgot about what you said a long time ago; about treating me the way you do not because of the grudge from third grade. Talk to me, Mitchell. Why don't I understand you?"

She watched his shoulders rise up and down with a sigh, watching him flick his blonde hair out of his face, free of any gel today and flatten out rather than spiked. She anticipated for him to turn around, to look at her with those bright sapphire gems, narrowed and determined, and to confess why he was such a jerk to her.

Could Travis Mitchell really like Maddie? Was it even _possible_? Did she even _want_ Travis to like her? She immediately mentally shook her head. Of course she didn't! She was dating Claude Sterling now, the hot goth vampire who'd comforted her after Travis had insulted her. But that still didn't keep her curiosity away from wanting the truth.

"It's none of your business," he mumbled before walking away.

_"Of course it's my business!"_ she cried after him, ditching her things and chasing after him. She grabbed his arm and turned him around, her fingers squeezing his forearm. She glared at him. "I want to know the truth. Do you like me? Is that it? Were you hiding your feelings for me because you didn't want anybody to know the ever-popular Travis Mitchell liked the weird girl? Because I wasn't raised to your standards? _What?_ I really, really want to know!" She caught her breath and softly panted from her ranting. Travis watched her with narrowed eyes, yet slightly surprised at her outburst.

"You really, _really_ want to know?" She glared at him.

"No … I just ranted without even taking one breath because I _so_ didn't want to hear the truth from you," she snapped sarcastically. "Of _course_ I want to know!"

"Well, it's not because I like you, so get that out of your head," he sneered. Maddie was taken aback. It _wasn't_ because Travis liked her? Then what else could it have been? She was so sure he was such a jerk to her because he hid his feelings, because he was ashamed of them, but she guessed she was wrong.

"Okay …" she said.

"It's … far greater than that." He mumbled his words and Maddie didn't almost catch all of them because of the softness of his tone. Maddie was sure that Travis didn't really want her to hear that last bit.

"What do you mean?" she asked slowly.

He looked away from her face, glaring off into the distance, his hands stuffed deep into the pockets of his letterman jacket. He let the shining blonde fringes fall into his face, not bothering to shake them out of his view. She actually liked his hair better this way, rather than busy in spikes. She felt the spikes made him too childish and immature. With his hair flat, he looked older, more grown up and mature.

She physically shook her head this time, silently scolding herself about admiring his hair. If she was going to admire anyone's hair, it was going to be Claude's. But now wasn't the right time to admire anything like hair. She needed to be serious and not distracted.

Travis sighed heavily and his glare morphed into a more concentrated expression, rather than angry.

"You're not going to like it," he finally said. Maddie rolled her eyes, but gave him a supportive look.

"I don't care. I really want to know."

Travis closed his eyes and his eyebrows knitted together. "I … I don't _like_ you …"

"Yeah, we already established that," Maddie muttered out of the side of her mouth.

"I _love_ you," he blurted.

Maddie's eyes widened to the size of dinner plates and she felt her heart stop beating. She stayed still and petrified as he continued, still trying to grasp the first three words he said.

"You were right about me hiding my feelings. I'm popular, a star on the baseball diamond and on the basketball court … I can't be looking at girls like you"—Maddie was still too stunned to even sneer at him for his remark—"but I couldn't help myself. And when I saw you _dance_—oh my God, when I saw you dance, everything just went to a whole new level. I can't ever stop thinking about you, it drives _me_ nuts."

"How long?" she whispered finally.

"Since third grade."

"Even after I embarrassed you?" Travis scoffed.

"I was too in love with you before you even did that. When I _first_ saw you, I knew you would be different. I knew you would be different compared to all the girls I would ever fall in love with. But I never fell in love after I saw you. Truth is, I've never been in love with anyone else but you."

"So even though you 'loved' me, you still embarrassed _me_ in front of everyone?" she snapped.

"I'm sorry," Travis said truthfully. "Honest, I'm really sorry. I couldn't let others see me crushing on the poor girl." This time, Maddie did glare. "They'd never let me hear the end of it.

"But now, hell, now I don't even _care_. Let the entire school—no, the entire _world_—know I'm in love with you. I don't care. I want them to know. And I'm willing to forget all of those years of just doing stupid stuff to piss each other off. I wasn't holding a grudge against you for embarrassing me; I was hiding my feelings so that even you wouldn't see them."

Just like Maddie had thought earlier, she was willing to forget the grudge, but only if he was. Travis had confessed, and now it was her turn to forgive and forget it.

She was doing a lot of forgiving and forgetting, she realized.

"Can I sleep on this? I need to do a lot of thinking," she said suddenly. Travis nodded understandingly and stepped out of her way as she let go of his arm, which, she realized, she had been grasping the entire time. Maddie turned back to gather her things and walked towards the exit, passing Travis, who was leaning against the doorframe now.

"I'll talk to you tomorrow," she murmured to him, glancing at him through the corners of her eyes. "And thanks for helping me again."

After that, she was gone.


	29. Chapter 29

**_Vampire Kisses fanfiction  
PLASTIC PROMISES  
_Claude Sterling/OC: Madeline Torrent  


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**Chapter 29.**

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Claude waited for Maddie to come out of her room while she got dressed. He was finally going to take her to the Coffin Club so she could meet Kat, Rocco, and Tripp. They acted nonchalant about meeting her, but he knew deep down that they were just as excited as he was. However, before they would all head over to the Coffin Club, Claude and Maddie were going to take a detour and head down to his graveyard so Maddie could get a change of clothes, attire that would actually suffice for the club.

As Maddie got ready, Claude waited in the main living room, sitting on the very tattered sofa with his elbows on his knees, his head propped on one of his fists as he flipped through a miscellaneous zoo magazine that clearly belonged to Melinda, which was strewn on the old coffee table. He thought about what she had told him Monday night, and how what she said made his stomach twist in anger and jealousy. He remembered the quivered tone in her voice as she whispered her news.

_"Travis … he … he's in love with me …"_ she had said, biting on her lip and not meeting his gaze. Claude's lip had twitched and fury filled his veins.

"But you don't _share_ these feelings, right?" he snapped, but he hadn't intended to. Her eyebrows knitted together.

"Of course I don't! What kind of girlfriend would I be if I loved someone else?" she said, and, immediately, Claude's pounding heart ceased, returning to normal. Yet he still felt that blood-curdling sensation from being so angry that Travis was actually in love with his girlfriend. He'd taken a deep breath and promised himself not to let it get to him. Maddie was _his _girlfriend, and she had feelings for _him_ only.

But even as he sat on the couch in her living room, he still felt angry and slightly possessive of her, afraid that Travis would steal her heart and ruin his plan on turning Maddie so they could be together forever. He felt rushed and thought he needed to hurry up and make Maddie fall in love with him so she wouldn't be against the idea. She was already dating a vampire, so that was a good start.

She finally walked out of her room, pulling her long, short-layered black hair over to one side of her shoulders. Her short, dainty yet wonderfully curvy body was pressed in a pair of old short cut-offs that were probably a little too short but Claude didn't care, and a purple v-neck that was maybe too tight for her, as it accentuated her cleavage. To complete her outfit, she sported one of her only pairs of shoes, the tattered, black ballet flats.

"Sorry I don't have any _gothic_ clothing," Maddie said, fixing the strap of her tote over her shoulder. "As you can tell, I don't have very many clothes, let alone _nice_ ones." She muttered the last bit, but Claude knew Maddie too well to know that she wasn't saying this because was ungrateful for what she had. Quite the contrary, she was very grateful for what she had, and she appreciated everything her mother could get her. But, just like anybody would, she did wish occasionally that she had things other kids had she didn't.

"It's okay," Claude said, standing from the couch, his lips pulling into a smile. "Kat's got some clothes she's going to lend you. Although, I am digging those little shorts and that shirt on you." He licked his lips and Maddie glared.

"Shut up, Claude," she said with an eye roll. "You're turning into Travis."

"Hey," he said, his grin dropping. "You're my girlfriend, therefore I can say whether you look so damn sexy in whatever you wear. Travis is a douchebag, therefore _he_ can't."

Maddie couldn't help but giggle with a smile as she shook her head. The smile returned to Claude's face. She walked towards the front door, and Claude fell into step with her.

The dusky orange sky was dimming as the sun began to lower behind the city buildings. The weather was of nice warmth, though it wasn't summer, but just barely spring. Claude stuck a hand in the pocket of his skinny jeans while the other he extended to Maddie, reaching for her own hand. She looked up at him, grinned crookedly, and took it, entwining her fingers with his. Claude grinned at her. He loved the touch of Maddie's skin against his own. He loved her very presence. It was a sort of serene feeling to him, yet at the same time he felt the ecstasy the scent of her blood brought him.

They strolled down the street, and by the time they reached the graveyard, the sun was nearly gone. From afar with his excellent vision, Claude could see his friends getting ready for the Coffin Club, excited for their special performance by Vampires Walk Naked.

He felt Maddie's hand squeeze his own when they neared the graveyard and she spotted the three other gothic vampires. Her breathing grew heavy.

"What's wrong?" he asked gently before they crossed the street and pushed through the tall iron gate that led into the graveyard.

"Nothing," she said, shaking her head. Claude arched an eyebrow, preparing to remind her of how well he could read her face, but she sighed in defeat and ended up confessing anyway. "I guess I'm just nervous to meet other vampires. And even though you guys _claim_ to not drink blood, it doesn't mean you don't like it anymore. My blood will attract them."

"Maddie, we don't drink blood anymore. And, yeah; your blood will attract them, but it already has. We know your scent already. It's just a matter of meeting you in person that they'll know exactly who you are," Claude explained.

Maddie gave him a deadpan look. "Was that supposed to make me feel better?" she said monotonously. He shrugged and kissed the top of her head, tracing the side of her face with his lips.

"Let's go meet the gang. They're _dying_ to meet you," Claude said as he pushed open the gate. Maddie sighed.

"Again, you are not making me feel any better," she muttered with an eye roll. Claude chuckled and held her tightly to his side, and he knew that she was joking when she slid her arms around his waist and hugged him back. He felt a sense of pride with her in his arms, as if he had just caught the best catch in the world. To him, Maddie was the best girl in the world. Thinking about it made him want his covenant ceremony with her even more.

"Well, well. This must be her," Kat chimed, crossing her arms over her chest. Her petite body was slipped into black and white striped boat-neck long-sleeved dress that clung to her figure and ended just along the middle of her thigh. Her thin legs were encased in torn mesh leggings and blood red Mary Jane platforms. Her long nails glistened with bright red polish that matched her shoes, and her lips were coated with the same color. They pulled into a smirk when her eyes landed on Maddie.

"Yes, yes, Kat; this is Maddie," Claude introduced. "Maddie, meet Kat, Rocco, and Tripp—my best friends."

Rocco came up behind Kat, stuffing his hands into the pockets of his torn baggy camouflage pants. His chiseled torso was covered by a black vest adorned with chains and safety pins, while his feet were stuffed into combat boots.

"Welcome to the gang, Miss Madeline," Rocco cooed with a smirk. Tripp snickered and rolled his eyes.

"Don't be such a tease, Rocco. You forget you are dating one of the most dangerous vampiresses in the country," he piped. Tripp was leaning against an angel statuary, his arms crossed over chest, sporting a white button-down shirt, purple spiderwebbed vest, and black tie. His long legs were pressed into skinny pinstriped pants, and black and white checkered Creepers. His square, thick-rimmed glasses were perched on the tip of his nose as he peered over them at Maddie and her non-gothic dress.

"You will be changing, won't you?" Tripp inquired. Claude scowled at him and Maddie blushed, embarrassed that she was not sporting gothic clothing like the rest.

"Don't worry. I've got loads of clothes she can browse through," Kat spoke up, strutting towards Maddie in a catlike grace and grabbing her by the wrist. Claude was surprised at how he felt his heart slightly drop when she was torn away from his embrace. Maddie looked back at Claude, her beautiful blue eyes wide with surprise, and he merely grinned at her, nodding his head.

"Give her something short. I want to see those legs of hers," he said coyly with a snigger. Rocco howled in laughter and Tripp sighed with an eye roll. Maddie glared at Claude while Kat gave him a dirty look.

"Can you be any more perverted, Claude?" she groaned.

"It's really nothing new," Maddie muttered, rolling her eyes. Kat scoffed and shook her head at Claude.

"You poor girl. I'll make sure Claude keeps his hands to himself, but as we are going to a club, you're going to need to dress sexy, sweetheart," Kat said. Maddie arched her eyebrows, and Claude couldn't help but grin. She was actually bonding with his friends. The night couldn't get any better.

He watched as Kat walked her over to a mausoleum, opening the lid and watching Maddie's expression turn to horror. The mausoleum served as Kat's closet after they had cleaned it of the rotting bodies inside. Kat thumbed through her clothes casually as Maddie stood behind her, staring in awe at what she had just witnessed. Claude heard Rocco snicker beside him.

"Poor human girl. I'll bet she really doesn't want to know what we did with those bodies," he murmured.

"Yeah, but it'll be the last time we do _that_," Claude said. "The blood was horrific. Downright disgusting."

"That's because we don't drink from bodies that have been dead for well over a month," Tripp said with an eye roll.

"Tripp's got a point," Rocco agreed.

"Well, we wouldn't have had to drink from those dead bodies if Kat didn't have so many clothes," Claude complained with an eye roll.

"Hey, don't start blaming this on her," Rocco warned.

"Okay, we're not going through this right now," Tripp intervened, breaking the potential argument. "Just think—once Maddie is dressed and ready to go, we'll be in the moshing audience rocking out to VWN. Aren't you guys psyched for _that_?"

"Not until you see _this _girl once I'm finished with her," Kat chimed from her mausoleum closet. She had closed the lid to let Maddie dress in her new outfit.

"There better be leg showing," Claude demanded jokingly. Kat rolled her eyes.

"You'll see what I've got for her. You're going to drool where you stand once you see her," she claimed, arms crossing her chest.

Rocco nudged Claude playfully in the rib. "Hey bro. Better keep it in your pants. After all, her uncle will be there on stage," he joked. Claude narrowed his eyebrows, but laughed. Kat rolled her eyes again.

"Okay, Kat," piped a voice from the mausoleum. "I'm … I'm done. Could you get me out of here?" Claude chuckled at Maddie's voice. She may be a tough cookie at times, but she still had her cute vulnerable moments.

Kat opened the mausoleum for Maddie and Claude's jaw immediately dropped when he saw her dressed in Kat's clothing. His pants were definitely growing tight.

Maddie walked out in a black vinyl strapless dress that ended just at her mid-thigh, like Kat's dress. The area around her bust appeared a little tight, as Kat was definitely smaller than Maddie in that department, but Claude didn't care. Actually, he liked how it appeared on Maddie, as it accentuated her cleavage. Stud belts hung from her waist and a black rose choker was strapped to her neck. She sported a pair of platform combat boots to add to her sexy dress.

Kat looked her over and nodded with approval. "Nice. Very nice. See, Claude? Plenty of leg." Kat motioned towards the bareness of Maddie's legs, but Claude's expression didn't falter. He continued to stare at her in awe. Kat rolled her eyes and shook her head. "Well, I'm not done with you yet, missy. Sit on that tombstone while I fetch my make-up bag." As Kat pushed Maddie out of Claude's line of sight, Claude woke up from his daze and shook his head.

"Holy hot damn. That girl is effing _sexy_," he gasped. Tripp rolled his eyes.

"Yeah, Claude. We know, we know," he said, clapping a hand on his shoulder. Rocco chuckled and shook his head.

Ten minutes later, Maddie was all made up with heavy eyeliner, smoky eye shadow, and black lipstick. Her short-layered black hair was teased and held a black headband with another black rose attached to it. Again, Kat looked her over and nodded with approval.

"There you go, Claude. You can thank me now, or thank me now," she joked. Claude chuckled and widened his eyes at the sight of her.

"Wow, Maddie. Look. At. _You_," he gasped. Maddie smiled shyly.

"I can definitely feel the breeze in this dress," she muttered, giving Claude a look, but that only made Claude grin wider.

"I bet you can. You're going to have to steal that from Kat so you can wear it for me more often," he chuckled.

"Maddie would know better than to steal from a vampire, let alone her clothes," Kat chimed, cleaning up her supplies and then hooking arms with Rocco.

"Don't worry, Kat. You're getting the dress back," Maddie assured, and then scowled at Claude. Claude smiled and pressed his lips against her black ones, thankful Kat only used 24-hour-lasting lipstick.

"Uncle Lucian is going to flip when he sees me," mumbled Maddie. Claude squeezed her tightly.

"He's going to be ecstatic that his niece is at least a fan of the gothic culture," Claude laughed. Maddie rolled her eyes.

"Claude, you are such a vampire boob," she sighed. Claude and his gang burst into rounds of laughter as Maddie produced a small smirk of her own as they walked out of the graveyard and up the street to the Coffin Club.


	30. Chapter 3O

**_Vampire Kisses fanfiction  
PLASTIC PROMISES  
_Claude Sterling/OC: Madeline Torrent  


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**

**Chapter 30.**

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Maddie, surprisingly, had had a great time at the goth club. She moshed around with her new boyfriend and friends to her uncle's hardcore heavy metal, something she thought she'd never do, since heavy metal wasn't her genre of choice. She even met Claude's cousin, Alexander, and his _human_ girlfriend Raven, the two who had convinced Claude to convert to vampire vegetarianism. Maddie and Raven clicked right away, both of them being mortal with immortal boyfriends. Maddie even found out that Raven attended the school Travis's boobish soccer cousin, Trevor, went to, and learned that she was tormented by him just as much as Maddie was tormented by Travis.

She and her new friends spent all night rocking out that, by the time the club was closing as the sun rose, Maddie was completely wiped out. She had had enough of the music pounding in her ears, the strobe lights blinding her eyes, and the dark, gothic décor of the club. She was going to go home and sleep the entire day to regain all of her energy.

She remembered saying goodbye to Raven and Alexander, even exchanging numbers quickly with Raven, and walking out the door with Claude, Kat, Rocco and Tripp not far behind. She was leaning against Claude's side, her arms loosely slithered around his waist as he supported her with a strong arm around her arm. The next thing she knew, she was conked out, and when she woke up the next day, she felt the blaring sun rays through the lids of her closed eyes, realizing she was back in her bedroom.

Part of her wondered if the club had all been a dream, until she realized she was still in her clubbing clothes, the ones that Kat had lent her last night. And then she remembered that she had met even more vampires to add to her vampire list. As if one wasn't enough.

Maddie groaned and pressed her palm to her forehead, sitting up and leaning her back against the wall. Her body was constricted and sore from sleeping uncomfortably in the vinyl black dress that was both too short and too tight for her, making her breasts practically pop out. Her feet were heavy from the combat boot platforms Kat had given her to wear, and her hair was so matted from the teasing Kat had done to it.

Maddie tossed her legs over the side of her bed and untied the boots, kicking them off when they were loose. She padded over to her floor-length mirror and jumped at her make-up stained face, smears pouring from her eyes and her lips.

The complex was quiet as she walked through the hall and realized that it was actually empty. Then she realized that her mother had decided to work an extra shift at the diner, and that Melinda was spending the day at her friend's house, working on a "Save the Rainforest" project they started within their school. Maddie walked into the only bathroom of the complex and showered, combing out her hair and washing her face of the thick, dark make-up. Afterwards, she returned to her bedroom and dressed into a pair of comfortable short pajama shorts and an oversized t-shirt.

As she walked back into the kitchen, she eyed the telephone and wished to invite Claude over, but she knew he was sleeping right now. It was one o'clock in the afternoon, and she knew that, as a vampire, it was vital that he not walk about in the sunlight.

She sighed and slumped against the edge of the breakfast bar, reaching for the phone and rubbing her fingers over the rubber buttons. It was the one of the downers of dating a vampire, not being able to spend time with him during the day. At least there would be time during the evening that he could come while the complex was still empty, not that Maddie wanted to go further than second base with him, but she was up for some of his magnificent kisses, and she definitely did not want her mother or sister around while she made out with her boyfriend.

Maddie grabbed a Pop-Tart from the pantry and walked over to the conjoining open living room and threw herself onto the beaten blue sofa. She turned the television on to help pass some time, but she couldn't stop thinking about wanting to spend time with Claude.

The club had really been fun, but it was definitely not her thing. It wasn't her _type_ of club, one could say, although she'd never been to a club before, but goth wasn't her thing. She wasn't comfortable in tight vinyl dresses that were much too exposing for her liking and five-inch platform combat boots that tied all the way up to her knees. She patted her hair gently, mentally telling herself that she would never let anyone tease her long, black hair again. And the make-up was a bit too much too, let alone extremely dark. Black make-up wasn't her thing.

But besides all of that, she'd genuinely had fun. She just wasn't sure whether she'd do it again or not. There were plenty of other ways for her to have fun with Claude that didn't involve going to gothic clubs or getting naked in her bed (or his coffin, for that matter).

She flipped through the few channels of her poor cable TV before landing on an old soap opera from the eighties. Because of her lack of channels, soap operas were pretty much all Maddie watched whenever she sat in front of the television. She thought them pretty pathetic, but she suddenly realized that she herself was in her own soap opera. She was dating a vampire and her long-time nemesis had just confessed his love for her. Couldn't get any more dramatic than that.

Well, actually it could. Both boys were butting heads with each other because they both wanted Maddie.

Maddie sighed and slouched further into her seat. Until now, she'd forgotten about Travis's huge news from Monday. She tilted her head back and closed her eyes, the arguing from the couple on the soap opera fading away as memories of Travis in the library with her after tutor flooded her mind.

Travis Mitchell, baseball boob and king of popularity of her school—her _arch nemesis_—was _in love_ with _her_.

How was that possible?

It wasn't! It just couldn't be. It was practically against Travis Mitchell's _morals_ to fall in love with a girl like herself.

But she replayed everything he'd said to her, how when he'd seen her dance, everything changed for him, that his love when to another level. She was in awe, totally in shock.

She didn't even realize she was calling him when his voice echoed through the phone.

"Hello?" Travis's voice said for the third time, annoyed. "Who is this?"

Maddie widened her eyes and held the phone away from her ear, shaking her head and wondering why she was calling him. Clearly she didn't have control over her actions.

"I'm hanging up," Travis snapped, and something about him saying that made Maddie's mind jolt and remember why she'd called him.

"Wait! Travis—don't go," Maddie said quickly.

"Maddie?" he asked.

"Yeah, it's me," she muttered.

"What's going on?" he asked slowly. She gulped and took a deep breath. Claude wasn't going to like this if and when he found out. Her mother wouldn't either, since she knew how Travis had insulted her daughter because of her loser ex-husband.

"Let's … hang out," she started.

"Hang out?"

"Yeah. My house is empty if you want to come over," she suggested. There was a long pause on his line.

"Where are you going with this?" he finally asked and Maddie felt her face pinch together in a glare.

"It's not going _anywhere_," she assured. "I just want to hang out."

"With me? Really?" He sounded genuinely surprised, and Maddie couldn't help but understand. The two of them hanging out was like Batman and the Joker making amends, and everybody knew it.

"Yeah. Really," Maddie replied softly.

"Okay. I'll be there in ten," he said, and she could hear the smile in his words.

"Alright. Bye."

"Bye Maddie."

She clicked _End_ on the telephone and placed it back on its cradle, wondering what she'd just done, and why she felt so ecstatic about Travis coming over. She didn't even know _why_ she wanted him over; she just felt his presence was necessary.

She snapped out of her thoughts when she realized he be over in ten minutes. Well, that was enough time to get ready, she thought. She rushed to her room and changed out of her pajamas, even though Travis liked her in them.

Maddie paused. She wanted to impress Travis with what she was wearing? What was wrong with her? Maddie had a boyfriend whom, even though she was not in love with, she cared for very much, and now she was stressing about how she would look in front of another guy, let alone one she held no affection for.

She realized this had not been the first time Maddie had thoughts like this. She recalled the night she danced for Travis and how she scolded herself in the mirror of the girls' restroom in the dance studio about worrying about her looks for Travis.

She slipped out of her pajamas and, very nonchalantly, pulled out a pair of torn short denim shorts, white-washed in color and immensely worn from the previous owner, as the pair was bought from a thrift store, as usual. She pulled a white v-neck slim-fit tee over her head, swapping it for her oversized pajama shirt. As she looked in her floor length mirror, she ruffled her wet hair, air-drying in the process, and nodded at her appearance. She wasn't going to worry about jewelry or make-up, for she didn't care about looking good in front of Travis.

Okay, maybe she would add a tiny bit of eyeliner and mascara, but that was it. No eye shadow, no lip gloss—nothing else.

But then, what about snacks? And what would they do? She didn't have cable, and only a VCR, so they didn't have any of the latest films. She knew Travis would be bored quickly here, so she had to make some use of entertainment.

She had to remind herself that she didn't care what Travis thought about her. She knew he was in love with her, so he wouldn't do anything more to insult her or her lack of wealth. Sighing, she returned to the couch and plopped in front of the television, the same soap opera still running, just a new episode.

She'd lost track of time when she was unexpectedly pulled into the television show, and the doorbell rang. Maddie jumped and rushed to the door, peeking out of the peephole to see the wandering gaze of Travis Mitchell. His hair was flat again and he was dressed in a plain black t-shirt and a pair of Levi's, hands stuffed into the pockets of his jeans. She inadvertently smiled and when she opened the door, Travis straightened, then eyed her strangely.

"That happy to see me, huh?" he teased. Maddie shook her head.

"What?" Travis eyed her warily before shaking his head.

"Nothing."

"Well, um, come in," she said.

"Empty apartment complex—wanna throw a party?" he joked.

"Only if it's a party of two," Maddie scoffed, leading him inside.

"Are you sure you're not leading me somewhere with you inviting me with your family gone? Sounds kinda fishy, don't you think? Especially in those cute little shorts that show off your nicely toned legs." He grinned coyly and Maddie rolled her eyes.

"I have a boyfriend, Travis, remember? And I'm loyal to him," she said sternly. Travis frowned.

"Right. The goth boy with the lip ring. How _could_ I have forgotten?" he muttered under his breath, but Maddie still heard him. "Where is the lucky guy, anyway? Why'd you invite me here instead of him?"

"He's … uh … _sleeping_," Maddie said, biting her bottom lip. Sleeping during the day definitely made him more abnormal than he wished people to see him as. However, the best lie was always one that strayed near towards the truth.

_"Sleeping?"_ Travis repeated. "Doesn't he know the nighttime is for sleeping?"

"He's a night owl. Spends all night studying and living life. He thinks he's a vampire," she explained. Travis stared at her for a long time before speaking again.

"You're dating a guy who is so delusional he thinks he's a _vampire_?" he murmured. "Does he drink blood, too? Has he ever tried to bite you and turn you into a vampire too?" Travis rolled his eyes.

"Look who's talking. Appears this delusional guy sold you out of a girl you've been in love with since the _third grade_," snapped Maddie.

"Okay, okay. We're so not getting into this right now," Travis said, raising his hands. "I came to chill, not to argue."

Maddie sighed and nodded. "You're right. You wanna sit down?" She motioned to the couch. Travis shrugged and nodded, plopping himself onto the couch. He glanced at the television and knitted his eyebrows together.

"What are you watching?" he snickered. Maddie rolled her eyes and went to turn off the TV. She bent over to press the _OFF_ button when Travis mused.

"I like this show much better," he chimed. Maddie turned her neck and noticed him grinning as his eyes grazed her backside. She straightened herself and blushed feverishly.

"Shut up, you perv," she snarled.

"So, what you are you going to do to entertain me, hostess? Are you going to dance?" His twisted smile softened into a more alluring, handsome smile, a smile that made every girl at her school melt at his feet.

"I don't have any room," she said.

"You can dance on my lap. You've got plenty of room here." The twisted grin was back again and Maddie narrowed her eyes as he patted his thighs, beckoning for her.

"No. Absolutely not. Help me make some room and I'll dance somewhere far from your lap," she said as she motioned to move the furniture. Travis chuckled and nodded, standing from the couch and pushing it towards the wall the led to the hallway. Maddie moved the coffee table out of the way, and she was open to a fair amount of space, though it was nowhere near as great as the school gym or dance studio.

She retrieved her iPod from her bedroom and hooked it up to the small stereo system with her adapter. She turned the volume knob so that the serenades of Amy Lee's voice from Evanescence filled the room, the ballads coursing through Maddie's veins and waking her dancing mode. Travis made himself comfortable on couch as he watched Maddie begin her art.

Once again, Maddie was moving her arms and legs so intricately, it looked so flawless and smooth. She stretched for thin air, pointed her toes at the sky, tilted her head back, and moved her hips to the rhythm of the beat of her music, allowing her body to be carried with the melody.

Once again, Travis's eyes were glued to her body, mesmerized by her utter perfection, by her movements, by her grace … he was suddenly high from her dancing.

Suddenly, Maddie felt a hand against her bare leg, and she knew it wasn't hers. She turned to see Travis, rubbing her skin with his fingers, his eyes latched on to his action, and, surprisingly, Maddie didn't tear away. Instead she bent her leg and knelt down on the couch with him, her legs on either side of his lap. Travis's hands maneuvered their way up to her thighs and started rubbing her skin again.

"This is how it should be," he whispered, touching foreheads with her. She shut her eyes. Claude would be so heartbroken right now if he knew what she was doing. She really liked him, honest; even with the trauma he caused her in the past, she liked him enough to want to be his girlfriend. Love was a completely different topic. She wasn't positive that she _loved_ him, at least not yet, but there was definitely a place for him in her heart.

However, Travis had built his own place in her heart as well, and now, she truly couldn't decide whether she liked him or not as well. She felt giddy inside around him, though, of course, she never showed it. And right now, as Travis's fingers grazed her legs, she felt a sort of ecstasy run through her veins that frightened herself.

There was no _way_ Maddie could fall for Travis, of course she knew before that Travis would never like a girl like herself, and she'd been proven wrong. Travis didn't only _like_ Maddie, but he _loved_ her.

She sighed heavily. "How do you know?"

"Because you aren't pulling away from me, but instead sitting on my lap, only a couple inches away from my lips …"

"I can't …" This time, Maddie did pull away. "I can't do this to Claude. It's not fair."

"Leave him," murmured Travis. "I know you have feelings for me, too, otherwise you wouldn't have invited me to your empty house, you wouldn't have come to my baseball game when I asked, and you wouldn't have put on a private show for me."

"You don't know that," Maddie said defensively. "But I do know that I have feelings for Claude. I-I can't …"

"Shush, Maddie," Travis whispered, pressing his lips against her jaw. "You talk too much."

His hands traveled up behind her shirt as his kisses traveled down her neck, meeting her collarbone. Maddie's shaky hands reached behind his head, entangling her fingers in his blonde hair. He moaned softly, and Maddie felt her heart race in fast, slamming so hard against her ribs, her chest began to ache.

"See, I told you … I told you, Maddie …"

She bit her bottom lip and felt tears emerge at the edges of her eyes. This was so wrong. Maddie was disgusted with herself. How could she do this to Claude? Though he wasn't the most innocent person (or vampire) on the planet, nobody deserved to be cheated on.

She pulled away again from his anxious lips, shaking her head.

"No, Travis. I'm not doing this," she sighed.

"Maddie—"

Suddenly, she felt his fingers grasp the clasp to her bra and chills ran down her spine. She pushed him back forcefully, his eyes wide with shock.

"What the—?"

"Stop it," she said firmly. "I told you I didn't want to do anything. Stop … stop _pressuring_ me into cheating on my boyfriend!"

She stood from his lap and turned her back on him, glaring with her arms folded.

"Hey, wait—Maddie—I'm sorry … I didn't … I mean, I didn't know that—" Travis appeared behind her, placing a hand on her shoulder, gently turning her to face him, though she stubbornly averted her gaze passed him. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to pressure you to do anything. I just thought that you'd want to …"

"I haven't gone that far with Claude, and I don't intend to, not for a while. What makes you think I'd do it with you immediately?" she snapped.

"I didn't know. I'm sorry." Maddie sighed.

"Well, I did call you over for a reason," she muttered, "so I guess you should make your stay worthwhile."

"What do you want to do?"

She thought for a bit. What was the reason why she wanted Travis over at her house, free of any adult supervision? She had to improvise so she wouldn't sound as if she were desperate for his presence, which she was slowly realizing was the real reason she wanted him here.

"I need help with my math. I thought it would be a good idea to ask you for help, since you were a really good tutor last time," she said. Travis eyed her warily and shrugged.

"Um, sure … I guess …" he said. Maddie forced a smile and nodded, hurrying to her room to fetch her tote bag and math book. By the time she got back, Travis was just finishing putting the living room back together. She smiled softly at him.

"Right. So, what do you help on?" he asked as they both plopped on opposite sides of the old couch. Maddie sighed and smiled inside as she got her things out. No more intimacy in between them. No more murmuring seductively. No more touching the other. Maddie didn't _want _to have any feelings for him. She wanted their relationship to be neutral, maybe not close friends, but merely acquaintances.

No matter Travis felt for her, Maddie was bound to Claude, and until something bad happened between them, Maddie wouldn't hook up with Travis for a long time.


	31. Chapter 31

**_Vampire Kisses fanfiction  
PLASTIC PROMISES  
_Claude Sterling/OC: Madeline Torrent  


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**Chapter 31.**

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Claude called her first before she could call him. Travis was still over from helping her tutor with math (they'd now moved on to Maddie's biology homework, which she was better at, but to make his time worthwhile, he decided to help her with the problems), and she felt awkward talking to Claude on the phone with him sitting on the couch.

She reached for the phone and shot Travis an apologetic look before pressing the _TALK_ button.

"Hello?" she spoke.

"Maddie," Claude's voice spoke to her, a smile sounding in his tone.

"Good morning," she teased. She heard him yawn on the other line and couldn't help but smile.

"Hey," he chuckled. "What are you up to?"

She glanced back at Travis, who was keeping himself occupied by texting on his fancy new cell phone. She felt guilty for talking on the phone to her boyfriend while she had company.

"Uh … just a friend over helping me with homework," she said hesitantly.

"A friend? Who?"

"You don't know them."

"Oh. Well, alright then," he said, a bit taken aback by her immediate response.

"Sorry," she added quickly, and then took a deep breath. "I feel weird talking on the phone while having company." She looked back at Travis again. He was flipping through the same zoo magazine Claude had been looking through when he was picking her up to go to the Coffin Club. Something about Travis looking through that same magazine made her stomach churn.

She heard him chuckle. "Don't apologize, love. Do you want to get together tonight?"

She thought that would be best. She needed to get all ideas of falling for Travis out of her mind, and having an intense make-out session with Claude would surely do the trick.

"Yeah, I'd like that," she said.

"Stellar. How long is your friend going to stay?" he asked.

"Um … I'm not sure. Not long, I don't think," she improvised, feeling guilty that she was ending Travis's stay before talking it over with him.

"Okay. How's in twenty minutes? Will your friend be gone by then?"

"Yeah, probably."

"Alright baby girl. See you then."

"Bye," she murmured before hanging up. His line went dead, and hers followed. She returned the phone to the cradle before returning to her spot on the couch next to him.

"So, um, where were we?" she asked casually, as if no awkwardness had taken place while she was on the phone.

"We were reviewing the biomes. Now you're supposed to be describing the landscape, weather, animal and plant life of the tundra biome," explained Travis.

"Oh, right." Maddie nodded in agreement. She did as he instructed, answering everything he asked, and they continued this until she only had a couple more problems left of her biology homework. Before Maddie knew it, her twenty minutes with Travis was almost up and Claude would be coming over to hang out with her.

She began to pile her papers together and smiled crookedly at Travis. "Thanks a lot for your help again," she said.

"But you're not finished—"

"I think I can do them on my own," she said. Travis arched an eyebrow.

"What's going on? You're acting real fishy," he mentioned. She arched her eyebrows innocently.

"Nothing's going on. I can't let you help me with _all_ of my homework. I've got to learn to do it on my own, too," she explained, but Travis still didn't buy it.

"Yeah, well, whatever. You're welcome, I guess," he said carelessly. Maddie tried to ignore it. After all, it was she that was leaving him in the dark, which probably wasn't very fair considering he'd confessed his longtime love for her, but she already felt guilty enough interrupting their study session so he could leave before Claude came. She didn't feel like a very honest person today at all.

She closed her books and stuffed her papers back in her binder, closing it and stuffing it into her tote. Travis had stood from the couch, pulling out his cell phone to check for any unread texts, and dug out his keys while he was at it. The two were quiet as Travis got ready to leave. He reached the door and grasped its handle, but paused, and Maddie was mentally puzzled at why he was taking his time.

"I'm sorry that I pressured you into being disloyal," he sighed, bowing his head. "That was really bad of me. I guess I just feel like I was … _robbed_ of you, since I've known you longer, and I've loved you longer."

Maddie smiled a small smile and shook her head. "Just forget about it. It never happened," she said. He glanced up at her, arching an eyebrow, and nodded.

"Thanks for coming," she said softly, smiling again as she grabbed a hold of her elbow.

"Any time," he replied. "I guess I'll see you at school."

"Right," she said with a nod. "Bye."

He opened the door and smiled a small smile in return.

"Bye."

Maddie walked him out, stopping at her front door and watching him travel down the iron steps. When he was in his car and drove off, she closed the door and leaned against it, sighing. She could still feel the heat from his hands on her skin from when he'd explored up her shirt, even though it was hours ago. Why had she liked his touch? That was so unlike her! The thought ate at her mind, and she stood leaning against the door for longer than she thought as the doorbell ringing woke her from her thoughts.

She turned and unlocked the door, poking her head out through the small space she'd made, the chained lock still in tack.

"Hey babe," Claude chimed, his hair rustled in the warm breeze of the evening, his body draped in a pair of torn dark skinny jeans stuffed into combat boots and a Misfits t-shirt, his wrists adorned in stud bracelets and wristbands. His silver lip ring glinted as he grinned.

"Hey, Claude," she said, smiling, unlocking the door for him and opening it fully, inviting him in. He waltzed in passed her, and pausing briefly before making way for the couch.

"What?" inquired Maddie. Claude spread his arms around the back of the couch and shook his head.

"Nothing," he replied. "I'm digging the shorts." He winked at her before running his tongue over his lip ring. "Lots and lots of leg."

"You are such perv," she scoffed, rolling her eyes.

"No I'm not. I just have very peculiar tastes. Like your legs, for example. Those smooth, tanned, slender, flexible, talented—"

"Don't start drooling, now," Maddie chimed, interrupting him as he stared with a wide smile at her exposed legs. He smirked and patted the seat next to him on the sofa.

"Sit with me, baby girl," he pleaded. Maddie smiled and walked over to him, snuggling close to his side, pulling her knees up to her chin. Claude wrapped an arm around her. This was what Maddie really needed to get her mind off of Travis.

He placed one of his hands underneath her thigh, rubbing it with his thumb. His touch sent chills of excitement down her spine as she rested her head on his chest.

"So, is this all we're going to do while I'm here?" Claude whispered seductively in her ear. "Why not make our time _worthwhile_?"

Here it came. The make-out. Maddie wanted it so desperately.

_Just kiss me so I can forget about freakin' Travis Mitchell already!_ she shouted in her mind.

"What exactly did you have in mind?" Maddie smirked. Claude grinned wickedly.

"Something hot and steamy, like yourself." Claude licked his lips and Maddie rolled her eyes and groaned.

"Oh, Claude! Shut _up_!" she exclaimed, slapping his chest. He laughed and kissed her on the head.

"How about you show me to your bedroom and I'll shut up," he asked with a grin. Maddie narrowed her eyes at him and finally grinned in return, standing from the couch, his hand in hers.

"Then welcome to my pitiful bedroom," she said as she led him sultrily to her room.


	32. Chapter 32

**_Vampire Kisses fanfiction  
PLASTIC PROMISES  
_Claude Sterling/OC: Madeline Torrent  


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**Chapter 32.**

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Maddie had never been happier before Claude became her boyfriend, and she was surprised at how someone who had once traumatized her by dragging her into an alley and wanting to suck her blood could become someone as close to her as he was now. They shared so much history, both bad and good, but despite it all, Claude made her love life even though she was dirt poor. One might say she'd finally fallen in love with him.

Maddie's mood didn't change while she was at school, either. She and Travis were on much better terms, despite all of their rotten history as well. Erik and the rest of Travis jock clones acted as if the world were about to end whenever they saw the two of them together, talking without glaring or sneering at each other. The sad part was that they actually meant it, but they were stupid jock boobs, so it didn't matter to her. Maddie was going to be friends with whomever she wanted to, even if her new friend was formerly her longtime nemesis.

"Hey Maddie," Travis piped from the other side of her open locker door. She closed it after gathering the last of her things and smiled at him.

"Hey, Travis. What's up?" He shrugged, stuffing his hands in his pockets.

"Nothing. I just wondered if you wanted a ride home," he said softly. Maddie's smile widened and she hugged her books tightly against her chest.

"Oh, thanks! But what about weight training?" He rolled his eyes and shook his head.

"That can wait. Right now, I want to take you home," he said gently. Maddie was touched by his kindness and wondered why he had to wait so long to display it. She chuckled and nodded in agreement.

"Okay."

He followed her out of the school and they both walked out to the parking lot. Maddie waved goodbye to some of her friends as she passed them. They eyed her warily after waving goodbye in return.

"Nobody's taking our newfound friendship seriously," Maddie sighed with annoyance as she reached the passenger side of Travis's slick BMW.

"Who cares what they think," Travis said. "Isn't that your motto? To not worry about what others think?" Maddie stared at him for a moment, realizing he was absolutely right. Since when did Maddie care what others thought?

"Now you're using my own words against me, huh? Where is the Travis Mitchell I grew to hate?" she chuckled. Travis unlocked the car and chuckled briefly himself, reminiscing on their horrible history.

"That bastard's long gone, babe." He smirked and got in behind the wheel. Maddie rolled her eyes at the name he gave her and shook her head, opening her own door and climbing inside.

"So, why did you choose now to tell me your … _confession_?" asked Maddie gently as Travis pulled out of the parking lot and onto the road. She noticed his hands slightly tighten around the steering wheel as the awkward subject was brought up again. But Maddie didn't care whether it was awkward or not. She just wanted answers. After all, she'd almost cheated on her boyfriend with him because Travis wanted her to. She deserved an explanation from him.

Travis was quiet for a while longer, and Maddie was about to push him to telling her when he finally spoke.

"Why not?" he said with a shrug. Maddie narrowed her eyes at him, puzzled. Travis sighed with defeat. "I thought how stupid it was to keep something like that from you and torture myself just so I could have good image. I don't want to torture myself anymore, but even though my image was everything, I'm willing to give it up just so I can be with you."

Maddie stared wide-eyed at Travis. His eyes were on the ride, but she saw the crease in his brow from being so serious, and he, very briefly, glanced her way before returning his gaze to the road.

"Travis …" she whispered, looking down. "I don't know what to say …"

They stopped at a red light, numerous cars behind, and Travis really looked at her. "Tell me that you feel the same. Tell me that you love. I know you do, Maddie, so you don't have to hide it. You don't look at me the same way anyway. Your eyes glisten in an affectionate way when you look at me." He stroked her jaw. "Just tell me that you love me. Make this relationship work."

"But—I—I can't …" she whispered sadly, shaking her head. "I can't, Travis. I can't end my relationship with Claude. Truth is, I'm in love with him too."

Travis's face was stricken, as if somebody had just stabbed his heart, and Maddie couldn't help but feel that metaphor more correct. She'd stabbed his heart with her words. Tears rimmed her blue eyes and she looked out the passenger window. Travis's eyes returned to the front and, when the light turned green, they began driving again, silent now. Maddie bit down on her lip to keep her from crying loudly. The sniffling she couldn't help, but she scolded herself for doing it anyway.

Travis pulled up to the curb in front of her building and they sat in silence for a couple more minutes before Travis broke it.

"I won't ever fall in love again, you know," he started softly. Maddie slowly looked up at him, wiping her eyes with her fingers.

"You don't know that. You've got your entire life ahead of you," she said. Travis scoffed and shook her head.

"You don't get it, do you? I've been so in love with you since third grade, and now we're juniors in high school. How could you expect me to move on now, especially after finally confessing? Even if I tried, I know I'd never be able to love another girl as much I as love you, Madeline."

"Stop, Travis," she suddenly blurted, shaking her head. "I can't take this. I have feelings for you, okay? But I also love Claude. He was the first to make a move, and I'm not going to cast him aside because you finally had the guts to confess your love to me. I'm sorry, but that's just so awful to ask for something like that." She shut her eyes tightly for a brief moment before opening them and opening the passenger car door.

"Just tell me who you love more," Travis persisted. Maddie shot him a narrowed expression.

"Don't make me do that," she said desperately. "The answer would hurt both of us." She climbed out of the car and, before closing the door, granted him thanks, and then hurried up to her apartment. Breathing heavily and holding back an ultimate sob for breaking Travis's heart even more, she leaned against the front door, dropping her bag to her feet.

"This didn't just happen. This is all a dream," she told herself, shaking her head. "Travis really doesn't love me, and I really haven't broken his heart." But the pain and guilt in her heart was too great to think it never happened. She groaned and slid to the ground. "I'm so terrible. I hate this."

She knew it wasn't her fault that she loved the both of them, but she hated thinking that it was her decision that was breaking Travis's heart. However, she'd been right about making her break up with Claude just to be with him. That slightly irked her, but she knew it was just because his love was too great for her, which brought her back to feeling guilty about choosing to be with Claude.

She loved Claude, though. She didn't love the dark history they shared from when they very first met, but she loved everything else about him. She was even fascinated by the fact that he was a legit vampire—not a poseur vamp that normally strutted the streets of her town at night. Plus, ever since they'd gotten on better terms, he was much more polite and kind. And she did love the way his hands felt on her body, and how his lips felt on hers.

However, when Travis had last come over when she asked him too, she'd loved the way his hands felt on her body as well. She was beginning to like the sensation of being around him. With curiosity taking over her mind, she began to wonder what it would be like to kiss him. What if she'd never stopped him from leaning into her that day he came over?

She shook her head. She felt disgusting, like a whore. She couldn't believe herself. Maddie was never like this about boys. She never had to choose between them because she was never interested in boys that she thought she had a chance with. Why now? Why make her life more miserable?

All she knew was that she needed to choose one boy, and she knew she had to choose Claude, since he was her boyfriend. After all, it was only fair, right?


	33. Chapter 33

**_Vampire Kisses fanfiction  
PLASTIC PROMISES  
_Claude Sterling/OC: Madeline Torrent  


* * *

**

**Chapter 33.**

**

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**

Claude was surprised to hear from Maddie later in the evening and suggest they go to the Coffin Club, since she'd mentioned how it exactly wasn't her thing and she didn't think she'd want to go again, despite all of the fun she had. He reminded her of what she said last time, telling her how she felt about the club, but she excused it all. She said she needed to clear her mind and thought dancing at the club with her hot vampire boyfriend might do the trick. Of course Claude immediately gave in to this and agreed to take her.

He hung up his cell and turned to his gang, who were still in their pajamas, chilling in their coffins.

"Hey guys," he announced. "Are we up for a visit to the Coffin Club?"

"We were going to end up going there anyway," Kat said with a shrug.

"So, is that a yes?" Claude asked.

"Yes. It's a yes," Tripp answered for her.

"Why do you ask?" Rocco inquired.

"Maddie wants to go. So we'll need your wardrobe again, Kat," said Claude, turning to his female friend. A smirk crossed her full lips.

"It'll be fun dressing Maddie up again," she giggled.

"Anyway, get dressed! I'll be leaving in a bit to go pick her up," Claude said.

"It's a school night, though," Tripp reminded. "She really wants to stay out all night on a school night?"

"Maddie is finally learning how to rebel," Rocco praised. "I'm so proud of her."

Claude rolled his eyes. "Fool. She's been rebellious since before she met us," he teased. He turned to Tripp. "She probably just wants to get out. She did say she needed to clear her mind."

"Clear her mind of what? The jock boob she groans about?" Kat snickered.

"Probably. That boy is always in her hair. Poor baby," Claude cooed.

"Or she probably can't stop thinking about how she loves him more than you, but since you're her boyfriend she knows thinking about that is wrong, so what better way to clear your head of love triangles like that than to go to the Coffin Club?" Rocco chimed. Claude glared at him.

"Please. Maddie would _never_ fall in love with a guy like Travis Mitchell. You remember his cousin, Trevor, the one that likes to drool all over Alexander's toy, Raven? They're just the same; annoying, stupid, and vain. Maddie's not into guys like him," Claude assured.

Kat, Rocco, and Tripp exchanged looks before bursting into snickers. Claude glowered at them before stomping towards his wardrobe and violently browsing through his clothes. _Claude_ knew he was right. He knew Maddie well. She'd never stoop so low as to fall for a guy like Travis. She'd said it herself. The boy was a baseball boob.

He pulled out a pair of purple plaid skinny jeans with holes in the knees and a slim-fitting AFI t-shirt. He slipped on his studded motorcycle jacket and tied on his combat boots before popping his collar and leaving the graveyard. He tried to forget Rocco's words, even if he knew he was just teasing him. However, he couldn't help but doubt their falseness. What if he was unintentionally right? What if Maddie did have feelings for Travis?

He shook his head and rolled his eyes. Maddie had told Claude herself that she would never fall for a guy like Travis. He had nothing to worry about. Besides, Maddie was probably in love with Claude, rather than Travis. She did call him her hot vampire boyfriend.

Smirking, his silver lip ring glistening in the moonlight, he morphed into a vampire bat and disappeared into the darkened sky. It was only until he reached Maddie's apartment that he changed back.

He arrived at her door, knocking on it. He heard the scrambling of feet and sensed the closeness of Maddie's blood. He sighed heavily with content, shutting his eyes for a brief moment, absorbing the effect her blood had on him. He couldn't wait to change her. He couldn't wait to bite her jugular and taste the small droplets of blood that usually pooled around the puncture holes from fangs. The smell was delicious enough, but to actually _taste_ her blood would be a real treat for him. The excitement ran through his veins like a virus.

The door opened and there stood Maddie, dressed in a pair of her tiny denim shorts that made Claude want to drool because of the massive exposure of her legs. Her torso was pressed in an aqua-colored v-neck, again exposing her voluptuous chest. Her black hair was let loose in razor-straight locks, framing her face, along with her side-swept bangs. If it wasn't for the sadness in Maddie's dark sapphire eyes, he would have already began thinking raunchy images of his beautiful human girlfriend.

"Hi Claude," she said in a very forced chirpy tone. Claude arched an eyebrow and perched an elbow against the doorframe. He eyed her down.

"Maddie," Claude greeted in return. "You ready?" She nodded and stepped out of the house, closing the door behind her.

"Yup," she said in another forced tone.

"Baby, what's wrong?" he asked suddenly. He knew something had been off with her, ever since she'd asked him to take her to the Coffin Club. Of course it was too good to be true.

"Nothing," Maddie said, shaking her head, grasping his hand and placing it around her waist for him. "Nothing's wrong. What makes you think so?"

Claude looked at her suspiciously. She was hiding something from him, and, immediately, Rocco's teasing remark returned to his mind. His stomach turned at the thought of Maddie maybe having feelings for Travis. It wasn't so. She hated him. How could she have feelings for him?

"Okay …" he said, however still unsure that everything was indeed alright. Maddie gave him a reassuring smile that did anything but reassure Claude, and snaked her arm around his middle, hugging herself to him. Claude shrugged and decided that maybe he was just being too paranoid. Rocco's comment had really shaken him up inside, and he hated the possibility of Maddie have feelings for anyone else. She didn't. He knew she didn't.

With his newfound confidence, Claude slipped his hand cunningly into the back pocket of her shorts, cupping one cheek of her rear. He chuckled when Maddie slightly jumped at his touch, and smiled when he saw her cheeks flush pink. She was so cute. He loved her with all of his heart, and the more he loved her, the more he wanted to turn her.

"So, will Kat let me borrow another outfit?" Maddie asked.

"Are you kidding? She's already planning what to dress you up in."

"I'm not squeezing into another dress, especially one that ends right underneath my butt," Maddie protested, and Claude's grin dropped. He'd liked her in that skimpy vinyl dress. He'd been having wet dreams because of it.

"Kat will have something in mind," Claude assured.

They arrived at the graveyard, Claude's friends beaming at the sight of Maddie's return. The three were already dressed and ready to go clubbing—all they were waiting for was Maddie.

"Hello, Madeline," Kat mused, her arms crossed over her chest. Her ballerina figure was compressed in a black vinyl dress that ended along the middle of her thigh, with a large white heart plastered over her chest. Her slender legs were draped in fishnet stockings, black go-go boots reaching up to her knee.

Rocco, as usual, stood beside her, and a grin was also spread across his face. Claude knew it was because of Maddie's "rebelling" by being out so late on a school night. His brawny body was clothed in tight black shirt that molded around his muscular torso, and torn skinny jeans, multiple bullet belts, his lucky pair of Converse shoes, and his usual knit cap to finish his look. Around his thick neck was a spiked dog collar, his wrists sporting spiked bracelets to match.

Finally, Tripp appeared, producing a smirk at Maddie's appearance as well. He was donned in a black long-sleeved tunic, the neck immensely torn, and a pair of white skinny jeans, black suspenders with tiny white skulls lining the straps hanging from his waist. His feet were encased in a pair of punk combat boots, while his iPod earphones were stuck in his ears.

"We've been waiting for you to return," Tripp said coyly, peering over his square lenses. Claude grinned down at Maddie and hugged her tightly.

"See? I told you the gang missed you," he teased. Maddie produced a small smile.

"Well, I'm here," she announced. Her gaze shifted to Kat. "Do you mind if I borrow another outfit for the club?"

"Are you kidding? My wardrobe is your wardrobe, at least until you get your own wardrobe of gothic clothing. I swear, we're going shopping one of these nights," she said, and reached over to grab Maddie's arm. As her black-painted claws wrapped around her arm, she tore her away from Claude and dragged her towards her mausoleum, opening the grave and browsing for an outfit for Maddie.

"Maybe not a dress this time," Claude heard Maddie mention. He knitted his eyebrows together.

"But that dress was _sexy_, Maddie," he pouted. Maddie looked over and scowled at him.

"Okay, no dress. But maybe _these_ will do. They're just as sexy, and Claude will still drool over you without you exposing any skin," Kat said and she pulled out a pair of vinyl pants. Claude ran his tongue over his lips as he imagined Maddie in those pants. Maddie rolled her eyes.

"Well, at least I won't feel too much of a breeze in those," said Maddie as she took the pants from Kat.

"And you've got an ass, so they'll fit nicely," Kat said.

"_That's_ for sure," Claude agreed. Kat rolled her eyes this time.

"My baby sure does know how to make average girls look sexy," Rocco said and winked at his girlfriend. Kat grinned and returned to her wardrobe. Next she pulled out a couple of tops for Maddie, but Maddie decided on a tight, white scoop-neck blouse with a corset-like style. The sides of the shirt were threaded with silky black ribbon and the hems sewn with lace. Kat found a pair of shiny vinyl red pumps and escorted Maddie into the mausoleum to change into her new outfit. When Maddie came out, Kat couldn't help but smile proudly.

"I should be a fashion designer," she claimed, nodding with approval at how well the outfit made Maddie's curvy figure look more voluptuous. Claude's eyes widened and his heart pounded in his throat.

"Damn, Kat," he murmured.

"And you have just made Claude an even hornier bastard by dressing his girlfriend up like a stripper. Good job, baby girl," Rocco said sarcastically. Maddie glared at him before rolling her eyes.

"Don't mind him," Tripp said, waving a hand at Rocco. "But, you did do a nice job, Kat … again, I should probably say."

"Well, don't thank me yet. I still have her make-up and hair to do," she reminded.

"Can we do a little less teasing with the hair, though? It took me forever to get the knots out," Maddie mentioned. Kat shrugged.

"Sure, I guess. Just as long as I get to do something," she said. Maddie was a tad skeptical, but she nodded in agreement and followed Kat to her coffin. And then, after less teasing and massive make-up work later, Maddie was finished, and Claude began feeling weak in the knees, and also felt his tight pants getting tighter.

"Holy shit, Kat," Claude rasped. "I think I may fuck Maddie now." Maddie threw him a dirty look.

"Claude!" she exclaimed. But Claude couldn't help it. Her blue eyes were rimmed with thick black eyeliner, flicks at the edges of her eyes, and a massive amount of smoky eye shadow. Her plump lips looked even plumper with the bright red lipstick Kat had coated over her lips to match her shoes. A spiked dog collar, one much like Rocco's, was strapped around her neck, and many belts draping from her curvy waist.

"Alright, alright," Rocco intercepted. He clapped a hand on Claude's shoulder and whispered teasingly, "Save it for the dance floor." Claude laughed and walked to his girlfriend, snaking an arm around her waist, pecking her on the cheek.

"Oh you know I will," Claude replied, Maddie eyeing him curiously as he and Rocco shared their inside joke.


	34. Chapter 34

**_Vampire Kisses fanfiction  
PLASTIC PROMISES  
_Claude Sterling/OC: Madeline Torrent  
**

* * *

**Chapter 34.**

* * *

The club was a great way to escape the event with Travis after school today. Maddie danced alongside Claude, letting him feel her body as they rocked out to the heavy metal music, though moshing wasn't exactly her thing, however the touch from Claude seemed to sooth her and make her feel like she was in a place so surreal, her thoughts of Travis had vanished.

She loved how Claude placed his hands on her vinyl-clad hips and pressed his lips to the back of her neck, moving her hair out of place, the coldness of his lip ring somewhat welcomed against her skin. His warm breath tickled her skin.

They danced the night away, at least until Claude had come up with the clever idea to leave the club and find a place more private to spend time with each other. Maddie thought nothing much of it, especially because she needed to let her mind revolve around her love for Claude, rather than her feelings for Travis. Travis was stressing her out too much. She hated that she was breaking his heart by being with Claude, but Claude was who she realized she really loved. Yet she also hated how Travis was pressuring her to break up with Claude so _he_ could be with her. What kind of friend did that?

Grabbing her hand, Claude led her through the club, pushing through manic moshers, until they reached the back door. He pushed through it and Maddie was immediately welcomed by the crisp night air. The breeze felt good on her hot skin, which was trickled with sweat from all of the dancing.

Claude looked back at her, grinning from ear to ear. Maddie arched an eyebrow and gave him a half-smile.

"What?" she asked, placing a hand on her hip. Claude shook his head and sighed.

"You're just too damn beautiful," he said, combing his dyed blonde hair out of his eyes. Maddie liked how his hair carried in the wind. She loved running her fingers through the soft blonde and black hair on his head, combing his bangs back and looking into his dark brown eyes.

She shook her head and chuckled.

"You've got it all wrong, baby," she said. "It's _you_ that's just too damn beautiful." Claude tilted his head back and laughed.

"Well, thank you, I guess, even if you did use the more feminine term for my attractive appearance." He made a motion of pretending to flip long imaginary hair back over his shoulder, which made Maddie giggle. Soon, she was embraced in his arms again, pressing her lips to his very briefly before they parted and Claude dragged her away from the club.

"Where are we going now?" she inquired as they walked down the sidewalk, Maddie's pumps echoing off the nearby buildings.

"Somewhere _much_ more secluded and romantic than the club," he assured.

"Like the Eifel Tower?" Maddie asked wistfully. Claude bellowed in laughter again.

"No, no, although the Eifel Tower is quite gorgeous. Ever been?" he asked. Maddie gave him a look. Of course she hadn't been to the Eifel Tower, or anywhere else in Paris, or France, or Europe. She'd never left the _country_, or the state, all because they simply could not afford any real nice vacations. Her mother was lucky enough to get a three-day weekend off from the diner, but with their extremely low income, it was highly rare.

"Sorry, sorry," Claude said sheepishly when he realized her deadpan expression. He squeezed her hand before exchanging it for an arm around her waist, which he pressed close to his body. "Don't worry; one day you'll go. And then you could dance for me on the very top of the tower." He grinned down at her, and Maddie's imagination ran wild. Dancing on top of the Eifel Tower? That was even better than getting on _So You Think You Can Dance?_

"Will you ever dance with me?" she asked suddenly. If Claude had come from a wealthy European family, he was bound to know how to dance, right? Wasn't it practically against the _law_ if wealthy Europeans didn't know how to dance? Especially with all of those fancy balls, Maddie considered, Claude was bound to know how to at least slow-dance.

Claude smiled down at her and mused at the thought. She liked the idea of Claude dancing with her. She hoped he'd be able to learn contemporary dancing, so they could partner up and do dances together. Coupled dances, Maddie thought, were much more intimate than solo dances.

"Only if you want me to," he said, and Maddie beamed. She wrapped her arms around his middle and pressed her head against his chest. "I'm nowhere near as brilliant as you, though. Keep that in mind." Maddie chuckled.

"Don't worry. It doesn't matter. It'll be just as special." She felt Claude's hands smooth the skin underneath her shirt and she sighed. He'd liked what she'd said, she realized, and she was glad that this moment was happening just the way it was. No Travis. All Claude.

They walked down the streets and Maddie could see the graveyard materializing up ahead, the streetlamps providing the light for her mere human vision. She wondered what they were doing back at Claude's graveyard. Was he going to give her an official tour of the place, not that there was much to show except for yards of tombstones and mausoleums?

"Why are we walking back to the graveyard?" Maddie asked, looking up at Claude curiously. A coy smile broke out over his pierced lips.

"Because it's secluded and romantic," he replied cleverly. Maddie arched an eyebrow.

"So, what? We're going to make out in your coffin?"

The thought was a tad morbid, considering only those of the dead (or undead) only laid in coffins, and thrusting her tongue into her boyfriend's mouth inside his coffin sounded a little macabre, but she couldn't help but understand that dark romance of it. Perhaps it wasn't such a bad idea after all.

Claude's grin only grew wider, and Maddie knew he'd agreed on her suggestion, even if she actually was kidding about it. Knowing Claude and his perverse mind, he probably longed to see her in her bra and the skimpy vinyl pants Kat had lent her.

They approached the graveyard, and Claude led her through the maze of tombstones, his grip on her hand growing tighter and tighter with excitement. Maddie giggled and smiled. She loved seeing Claude excited. She thought it was so cute.

"Your idea was rather clever," Claude chimed, turning his neck over his shoulder to look at her. "Your wish is my command, darling."

Maddie couldn't help but giggle, and she wasn't one to normally be so giddy.

She could see their campsite, the angel statues looking familiar amongst the thousands of other mausoleums in the graveyard. Okay, so Claude was going to lead her to his coffin where they were most likely going to make-out. That was fine with her. After all, she was doing well with not thinking about Travis. She was glad she'd come to the club, even though her mother was probably going to murder her when she found out Maddie had been out so late on a school night. She didn't care, though; at least not at that moment. Her love life was way too chaotic. Too many boys in her life, too many that shared feelings for her.

As Maddie had predicted, Claude had arrived at his coffin, but before he made a motion to get in it, he caressed her face and pressed his lips to hers, the silver lip ring cold against her flesh, but so welcoming considering she'd been dancing so much just ten minutes ago. His hands dropped her shoulders as Maddie locked her arms around his neck, and smoothed the area around her neck, his thumbs padding over her jugular and collarbone. She felt his fingers slip inside the neck of her shirt, chills running down her spine. His touch tickled her even greater than before.

The kisses grew hotter and more intense as Maddie decidedly ran her fingers anxiously through his hair, tugging slightly and pressing her body tightly against his own. Claude's adventurous hands had lowered to her hips, gripping the hems of her shirt, lifting it gradually. Would she really let Claude undress her like so? Was she ready for something like this?

Of course she was. She was sixteen and a junior in high school. So Claude was a couple years older. It wasn't that much of a big deal. And plus—she felt so comfortable with him. His touches were inviting, his kisses were exotic—there was nothing _not_ to like about him … well, except for the history of how they met, but that was in the past. Maddie hardly ever thought about that day anymore.

So, believing she was ready to finally take their relationship to the next level, she helped him take off her shirt, and also helped him with his. They parted to inhale the other's exposed torso. Claude was, unsurprisingly, breathless; his chest chiseled handsomely with an athletic shape and nicely toned arms. His skin was of course pale as the moon, but it only made him look sexier, rather than sickly.

Claude's eyes hungrily traced her form, running his tongue over his lips with a wide open smile, so wide that his pointed fangs were so visible in his mouth. His hands ran up and down the sides of her hourglass figure, thumbs rubbing her bare skin. She was toned darker than he, thanks to the sun. It was a nice sun-kissed tan from venturing to the beach over vacations and walking home in the hot sun from school and to the dance studio. He fingered the satin of her neutral-colored bra, which made her look, from afar, as if she weren't wearing anything to shield her breasts from him.

"This is better than Kat's work on you," he rasped in a sultry tone near her ear, and then pressed his lips again it, tugging gently on the lobe while being careful not to pierce her skin with his fangs. She felt his tongue graze the multiple studs that ran along the rims of her ear, falling weak in the knees.

"Claude …" she moaned, tugging at his hair again.

"Get into my coffin, baby," he whispered. "It's more entertaining in there."

This was it. Maddie was going to go further than just an average make-out with him. The ecstasy traveled like a virus through her veins as she nodded, stepping aside so he could open lid of his coffin. Smirking, he escorted her inside.

The wooden coffin was padded with black velvet cloth so that he wouldn't have to sleep against the wood the coffin was made out of. There were thick layers of blankets that covered the bottom part of the coffin, all black in color, with a matching black, skull-adorned pillow. His coffin was messily made, as if he hadn't bothered to fully make his bed at all, and the lid to his coffin was plastered with heavy metal rock bands that were vaguely familiar, only because her uncle listened to them. She even noticed a poster of her uncle's underground metal band, Vampires Walk Naked.

"They really do sometimes," Claude piped, pointing to the VWN poster. "Sometimes we do walk naked, but only in the pure dead of night."

Maddie couldn't help but laugh, even though she'd given him a strange look as he explained to her what he meant. But soon her laughing was subdued and overcome with moans from Claude's kisses as he brought her into his lap while he leaned against one edge of the coffin. His hands continued to roam her body, but this time hers did as well, and Claude, in return, had let loose some moans as well. Maddie's heart raced with every touch and every kiss from Claude, and it just made her all the more anxious to do it with him.

She was growing impatient, as all they were doing was just making out. She dropped her hands to the button of his jeans and undid them, following with unbuckling all of his belts and casting them aside. She felt a smile form on Claude's lips while she kissed him. He was excited again.

"Pull off my boots," he murmured, and Maddie obeyed, even though the chore sounded slavish. She reached for his complicated laced-up boots and proceeded to untie them, when they formed a knot. Maddie narrowed her eyebrows and her heart pounded in her chest. What the hell was wrong with these stupid shoes?

She grumbled in aggravation as she felt her face heat up from embarrassment, as she couldn't even untie a mere boot. On top of all that, she was sitting in Claude's coffin in her least attractive bra (why had she worn that one?).

The mood was suddenly going downhill for her. Claude sighed and reached over, untying them himself. Maddie felt small and self-conscience, suddenly, and she wished to be anywhere but there, let alone shirtless.

However, her mood immediately shifted when Claude had finished kicking off his boots and then pressed his lips tenderly to her. Her confidence had returned when she felt the smile in his lips, his dominance conquering her quivering embarrassment.

"_Now_ you can take off my pants," he chuckled through his kisses and Maddie grinned, rolling her eyes, but doing as he suggested. He pushed her to the floor of the coffin, hovering above her, which gave her easy access to pulling off his pants. She tugged the purple plaid-print skinny jeans down to his knees, and from there Claude finished the process. He was left almost completely bare, mind his pair of black plaid boxers, and as Maddie looked him over, she couldn't begin to believe how incredibly sexy Claude looked almost naked.

"Like what you see?" Claude teased, leaning back and posing for her. Maddie rolled her eyes and shook her head, chuckling.

"You're so full of yourself, you know that?"

"I am _not_," he argued jokingly. "You said it yourself. I'm just so _beautiful_."

The two burst into barks of laughter, falling on top of each other. Their laughter finally subdued, and Claude wrapped his arms around her body. Maddie, yet again, fell in such peace and comfort in his arms, bringing a smile to her face.

"But, seriously," Claude said softly. "You're so beautiful. I've never been in love with anyone before," he confessed. Maddie looked up at him.

"Neither have I," she said.

"You're with me every night, you know," he said, and Maddie cocked her head to the side out of puzzlement.

"What do you mean?" He pointed to one side of the coffin, a side near his head, and, engraved in the velvet, torn with what was probably a knife (or his fangs) was her name, Madeline, followed by a heart. Maddie's heart raced at the gentle and sweet gesture of the carving. He'd carved her name into the felt inside the coffin!

"Claude," she murmured, looking back at him with a wide smile before looking back at her name, running it over with the buds of her fingertips.

"Can't sleep without you," he said. "And with your name there, I just always imagine you sleeping beside me, nestled up next to me, wearing nothing but those cute little shorts and a tank. You know you're beautiful even in your pajamas, right?" A playful grin pranced around his lips, and Maddie scowled, her own lips forcing a smile while she tried to suppress it, yet she failed.

"Oh Claude," she sighed with an eye roll. He smiled widely, gently rubbed his knuckles in her hair while she protested, and then kissed her, bringing her with him as he lay back down. She hovered over him, her vinyl pants shining even in the dark. She was excited that Claude had decided to rub her legs with his large hands, smoothing the backs of her thighs before reaching her backside. A coy grin spread across his lips.

"And then, of course, I always imagined us doing this every night," he said. Maddie groaned and rolled her eyes.

"So, let me guess; you get horny every single night imagining us feeling each other up. Okay, that's cool," she said sarcastically.

"Don't tell me you don't think the same," Claude accused, raising an eyebrow. Maddie barked out a humorless laugh.

"I _don't_." And it was true. She didn't imagine them having sex every night, and most certainly didn't get horny every night either, but sometimes she did think about her and Claude nestled together romantically, however while she was falling asleep, he was already up and getting ready for his day to begin.

The other half of the time, she thought about how her life would be if _Travis Mitchell_ were the one sleeping next to her instead, though those were thoughts that should have been forbidden from entering her imagination. He was human and they'd be going to sleep at the human hour. There would be no different schedules. They'd have the same sleep pattern. They'd go to sleep together, wake up together, and then repeat.

But Maddie knew it wasn't right to think about how great a life she'd have with Travis Mitchell. Her heart belonged to Claude, though he was a vampire with a very different lifestyle. Though she wasn't determined to marry him, she knew she still had to be loyal, and that meant any intimate thoughts of Travis were to be thrown away.

"We could make that happen," Claude suddenly whispered, tearing her from her thoughts. She didn't understand what he was talking about anyway, and she tilted her head to the side, eyebrows knitting together.

"Make what happen?" she asked.

"We could make it so that you could sleep with me every morning, so that you could nestle with me, so that we could feel each other up"—he said this with a coy grin—"every night. _I_ could make that happen."

"I still don't understand," Maddie admitted.

Claude leaned forward and they swapped positions—Maddie fell backward and Claude hovered over her again. He grabbed hold of her wrists and held them above her head, leaning down to kiss the middle of her throat, sucking on the tiny lump of it. She moaned briefly and shook her head back and forth.

"Claude … what are you talking about?" she asked.

His lips trailed along her collarbone, planting small suckling kisses. He finally made it to her jugular, pausing to smell the area. Maddie's eyebrows narrowed in confusion. What was he doing? Smelling her blood?

Suddenly, she felt her heartbeat freeze. He was _smelling_ her _blood_. That's what he'd meant by Maddie sleeping with him for every night to come. Surely he couldn't be serious. After all, they'd never even _talked_ about the biting.

If Claude was seriously thinking about biting her to make her a vampire, she was going to be truly heartbroken. She didn't want to become a vampire. Why in the world would she? She loved the sun, needed to see her reflection in the mirror, and thought the blood diet was absolutely repulsing. It was enough that she was dating (and in love) with a vampire, but she wasn't about to give up her human life to turn to the dark side. Maybe her uncle might, but not Maddie. She and Uncle Lucian were truly quite different people, despite their related genes.

She felt his lips press against the space he'd been smelling, and then eventually he began to suck on it, and Maddie knew she was going to end up with one hell of a hickey. At least he wasn't _biting_ her.

"It's really quick," he whispered softly, almost as if he were talking to himself. "Really quick, painless, and _mesmerizing_."

Maddie's blue eyes widened to the size of dinner plates. _NO_, was the first word that popped into her mind, a large N-O in flashing bright lights. He couldn't do that to her. He had to at least ask her. They had to at least _talk _about it!

"Delicious … thick … sweet … oh I can imagine it running down my lips—"

Maddie couldn't believe it. Claude was thinking about drinking from her … _again!_ After he'd promised he wouldn't do it, he was doing it now. This night was supposed to be special. She was planning on losing her virginity with the boy she loved. She was wrong. Did she even love him now?

"Stop it," Maddie seethed. She wanted to cry. How could Claude be doing this to her?

Claude looked into her face, puzzled. "Stop what?" he asked innocently. She glared at him for his ignorance. How pathetic was he going to be?

She began to slide out from underneath him and reached out of the coffin for her shirt. Claude stared at her in disbelief.

"Whoa, whoa, whoa. What is going on here?" he asked. "What—what are you doing? I-I thought …"

"I can't believe you're imagining drinking my blood. I told you that I didn't want you doing that. _You_ told _me_ that you wouldn't do that! Why are you breaking your promise?" Maddie exclaimed as she tugged the shirt over her chest.

"What are you talking about? Who said I was going to drink your blood?"

She could not believe Claude had the guts to lie to her in the face. She was in love with him? Now _that_ was pathetic.

"I can't believe you," she whispered, shaking her head, her eyebrows furrowed. "What was your intention on bringing me here tonight? Did you want to make my changing into a vampire _romantic_? Who said anything about me wanting a change?" Claude opened his mouth to protest, but Maddie beat him to it. "And don't you say _anything_ about not having any intentions of the sort. That's why you began mentioning about the sleeping together thing, huh? You want to change me so I can adapt to your patterns, to your lifestyle."

"Maddie, you don't understand," Claude said.

"Excuse _me_? _I_ don't understand? I'll tell you what I don't understand. How the _fuck_ I'm in love with _you_."

She climbed out of the coffin, but Claude pulled her back. Her eyes widened as she was thrown back to the ground, her breath catching in her throat. He hovered over her, glaring. Her heart pounded. Suddenly, she felt a déjà vu moment coming on. Could they really be performing a repeat of those horrific past events, the events Maddie struggled so hard to forget?

"You don't understand, Maddie," Claude seethed as he mounted her so she couldn't escape. He held her hands above her head yet again, wrapping his fingers around her wrists tightly. She stared up at the boy she thought she loved in fear.

"Claude, you need to get off," she said sternly.

"I'm not getting off until I get what I want, and I want _you_." Her eyes widened even further as his narrowed. "I want everything about you. I want your body, your love, and your _blood_."

This was getting really, really bad. Maddie had been in situations like this with him before. Luckily now, she was in an area where someone could probably hear her if she screamed. So, she swallowed in all the air so could hold and belted the most high-pitched scream she could muster.

It all lasted for about three seconds before Claude let go of one of her wrists and clamped a hand over her mouth, muffling her screams. However, he'd freed a hand for her, and she scratched and slapped him and tried to push him off. She bucked her hips to throw him off, but he stayed put.

He leaned towards her, now mere inches from her face. His dark eyes suddenly did not look beautiful and loving. They were angry … and very, very hungry.

_"Shut. Up,"_ he hissed. "You don't want anyone to stumble in on us making love, now do you? How embarrassing would _that_ be?"

She bit the callouses on his hand with the tips of her teeth, and she felt a wound open, for she could taste his blood in her mouth. It was disgusting and made her want to retch. Claude snarled at her and squeezed her cheeks with his bloodied hand.

"This is why I love you so much, Maddie. You're feisty." A twisted grin spread across his face. He rubbed her lips with his bloody hand.

"It's just a quick bite," Claude said, referring to the changing into a vampire. "A quick bite and it's all over. You'll be one of us, like Kat, and Rocco, and Tripp. You'll be able to sleep in my coffin and go shopping for sexy clothes with Kat, and since we're on sacred ground—as this is a cemetery—we'll be bonded for _eternity_."

"Claude, what's _wrong_ with you? What happened? Why are you acting like this?" Maddie sobbed, squirming underneath Claude's body.

"Oh, I can assure that there is _nothing_ wrong with me," he said proudly.

Maddie was baffled by Claude's sudden change in behavior. Just five minutes ago he was acting sweetly and humorously, whispering how beautiful she was. Now he was set on drinking her blood, on changing her into a vampire. What had led him to this change? She didn't understand. What happened to the Claude she was in love with from five minutes ago?

"You're acting like your other self," she said. "The self you are from the alley, from that night in the studio … Where's the Claude I was with at the club? What happened to you?"

"Maddie, baby girl, there's _nothing_ wrong with me. Only _you_. Who _doesn't_ want to get turned into a vampire?"

She closed her eyes. This wasn't happening. She was having a nightmare. Claude wasn't really acting like this, breaking his promises and talking nonsense.

"Think about it. We'll get married, have kids, live in a secluded manor. It'll be _so_ romantic, baby. You'll love the lifestyle."

It didn't sound romantic at all, especially not while she was in the situation she was in. Her first priority was getting out of Claude's mount, and then calling for help.

"We could talk this over, Claude," she said, resorting to a calmer tone. "Let's talk this over calmly and sitting upright," she added.

"But I _love_ this position much better," he said sultrily, leaning into her ear. "I have access to every _ounce_ of you."

"I'll think about letting you drink my blood," Maddie lied, "but only if you let me get up. Then we can talk about my change."

Claude narrowed his eyes at her, but finally agreed. He slid off of her and, as quickly as she could, she darted out of the coffin. Claude roared and reached for her, snatching her ankle, but Maddie had still been wearing Kat's pumps, so she kicked him in the face and he released her. She kicked off the pumps and ran for her bag as fast as she could. Claude was a vampire, so his speed would be impeccable.

She ran as far away as she could from him, but she sensed him on her tail. She dared not look back, for fear of seeing him. Her breath was heavy as her bare feet pumped against the grass of the graveyard. When did this maze end? _Where_ did it end?

_"Maddie …" _Claude's voice echoed in the air, but she chose to ignore it. She couldn't stop now. She allowed her feet to take her anywhere that was away from Claude's coffin. Taking twists and turns, she finally arrived at a fence. It was a waist-high fence, but Maddie was wearing vinyl pants. Well, if she ripped them, it wasn't her fault Kat's friend had turned into a psychotic beast. With her speed increasing, Maddie prepared herself for the fence. She grasped the metal bar, lifted herself over it, and landed on the other side, almost falling, but not stopping. She ran for the street, hoping to get to civilization. A restaurant or store would do her really good. She looked behind her to see if she'd outrun the vampire.

No one was there.

She sighed with relief. She'd done it. She'd ditched Claude. She'd _outrun_ a vampire.

She turned back around and screamed.

"Not quite," Claude said slimily with a smirk.

Out of impulse, Maddie grabbed a hold of his shoulder and violently brought her knee in between his legs, crashing with his crotch. Claude cried out in pain, still in nothing but his boxers, and backed away. Maddie did the same and ran for it, but she heard him growl at her.

But he wasn't following her. She couldn't believe how stupid she'd been to fall for him, to give him a second chance. She knew one thing; she'd never trust a thing he said ever, ever again.


	35. Chapter 35

**_Vampire Kisses fanfiction  
PLASTIC PROMISES  
_Claude Sterling/OC: Madeline Torrent  
**

* * *

**Chapter 35.**

* * *

She wasn't sure where to go, but she was going to go anywhere but home, in case Claude was still following her. Instinctively, her feet led her to the dance studio. It was on the other half of town, but luckily she knew her way around, and her adrenaline was pumping so greatly from fear that she had enough energy to make another run for it.

Even though midnight was well past, the streets were still somewhat busy. The downtown city never rested, much like New York City, so Maddie felt a little safer in case Claude tried to come back and get her. The worst thing about the studio was that it was more isolated, especially at this hour, and he might find it easier to get her.

Her heart pounded at the thought of Claude waiting menacingly for her, only dressed in his boxers and looking so sexy, but his form towering and angry. However, when she approached the building, it was vacant, but she wasn't relieved just yet. She needed to get into that building and lock herself in, also being wary for any stray vampire bats.

She dug inside her bag for her keys, fumbling with them before finding the right one. She hastily stuck it inside the keyhole and, once it unlocked, darted inside, ducking into a dance room. She hated how vampires couldn't reflect back in the mirrors which would have served as an advantage for her since her room was full of mirrors. She cornered herself so that she couldn't be seen in one, in case Claude was looking for her and wouldn't see her; however he did have her scent, which was probably how he'd be hunting her anyway.

She pulled out her cell phone next, flipping it open and scrolling through her phone book to look for Raven's cell number. She was probably sleeping right now, but she didn't have Alexander's number, and he was really the one she wanted to get through to. If anyone could really protect her, it was him. He was a vampire, therefore equal in power, and he was also Claude's cousin, therefore he knew him best.

Maddie pressed the TALK button when she found Raven's number and shakily held the phone up to her ear, listening to it ring multiple times. Maddie prayed she'd pick up; she really, really needed to talk to Alexander.

Finally, on the fourth long ring, a groggy voice answered and Maddie's heart slowed with relief.

"Hello?"

"Raven?" Maddie asked, shaking.

"Maddie?" She could hear the confusion in her voice as to why she was calling so late.

"Raven, I really, really need your help." Maddie's voice dropped to a low whisper. "It's about Claude."

Suddenly, Raven's voice sounded more alert. "What happened? Did he do something to you? Are you okay? Where are you?"

Her lip trembled and she choked on a sob. "No, I'm not okay. I really need Alexander to come down to the dance studio, you too if you can get out. He … he …" Maddie took a deep breath and tried to control her sobbing. "He tried to bite me when I didn't want him to. He became bloodthirsty and shallow. Luckily I escaped but I'm hiding in the studio and I wouldn't put it past him to follow me here. Please hurry."

"Don't worry," Raven's voice assured. "We're on our way. I'm going to call Alexander right now. We'll meet you in ten minutes, at the most. Stay where you are and don't make any noise, in case he's inside the building," she advised. Maddie nodded and muttered her agreement. They hung up and Maddie curled into a fetal position, making sure there was absolutely no space between the wall and her body.

Her heart was pounding in her chest, praying fiercely that Alexander and Raven would hurry. She was afraid of being alone with Claude, afraid that he was stalking the dance studio, waiting for her to come out.

There was suddenly an echo from the front doors opening, and Maddie clapped a hand over her mouth, her eyes wider than ever. Why was the door opening? Hadn't she locked—?

She mentally cursed herself being so forgetful. How could she have forgotten to lock the doors when it was one of the first things she told herself to do?

Holding her breath, she listened as the footsteps grew louder. What if it was Alexander? Her heart pounding like a jackhammer in her chest, she hoped with all of her might that it was anyone _but _Claude.

The footsteps drew nearer and, suddenly, they stopped at her door. The silence that had pounded in her ears was dead. There was nothing but an eerie nothingness floating about the air, until the doorknob turned.

Maddie was petrified as the figure walked inside the room. It was either Claude or Alexander, and both of them would smell her. Though she prayed that the footsteps belonged to Alexander, she couldn't help but feel that they were Claude's. Only Claude would create immense suspense for her. He knew she was there. He wanted to scare her, and, unfortunately, he was doing it.

If only either one of them had reflections! She could see who the person was in the mirror across from her, but there was no one there.

The footsteps stopped a couple of feet from Maddie's hiding place. As she hid behind a large stereo and desk, she could see only a large pair of combat boots, both Alexander's and Claude's preferred type of shoe. Thin legs were encased in black jeans. Claude had been wearing purple earlier that night, but he could have easily changed. Suddenly, the legs began to bend and she knew the figure was crouching. He knew where she was.

She closed her eyes for a brief second, but when she opened them again, she saw Alexander's concerned, handsome face, locks of midnight black hair framing his face. The same brown eyes Claude had rested on either side of his finely shaped nose, another factor he shared with Claude. In fact, really the only differences between the two were Claude's short dyed blonde hair and his lip ring. If Claude was still black-haired, she probably wouldn't have been able to tell the difference. Claude and Alexander were almost identical.

The surprise had worn off and Maddie's held in breath was released, her heart slowing to a normal rate. Alexander reached down to help her out of her hiding spot and, when she was in the open, she burst into tears, throwing her arms around Alexander's neck and whispering nonstop thank you's. Alexander returned the motion and in turn wrapped his arms comfortingly around her shivering body. He was smoothing her back in small circles, shushing her gently as she sobbed uncontrollably into his chest.

Maddie felt relieved that she could finally let loose all of her emotions. The night that was supposed to be so great and magical had ended in a disaster.

"Now, tell me, Maddie: did Claude _bite_ you?" Alexander asked firmly, pushing her away, gently, just so he could see her tear-stained face. She stole a glance from her reflection and was immediately embarrassed at how horrible her face looked. Eyeliner and mascara was running down her face, as if somebody and traced fingers covered in black paint from her eyes down her cheeks. Her red lipstick had smeared all over her mouth, resembling that of a scary clown's mouth.

She shook her head quickly. "Oh God, no," she choked out.

"Did he harm you in any way?"

"He grabbed me and mounted me, but he didn't hit me," Maddie said honestly. Alexander nodded, but he still inspected her face and her neck, making sure she was absolutely correct.

"Claude definitely has a problem," Alexander sighed. "He always has, and I warned him that if he continued to drink any blood from civilians that he'd never see you again—that _I'd_ make sure of it."

"He told me that too," Maddie said. "He says he stopped."

"Yeah, I'm sure he did stop, but he found a loophole to my threat." Maddie knitted her eyebrows.

"What loophole?"

"If he bit you on sacred ground, such as the graveyard, you two would be eternally bonded, and there would be no way of taking you away from him to punish him. After that, he and his friends would be able to continue their killing spree and drink from any human they wanted." Alexander's gaze softened as he stared into Maddie's frightened eyes. "He was using you."

Maddie gulped and felt her heart breaking slowly and painfully. She was afraid someone would tell her that. The reason he wanted to change her was so he could get his privilege to go out and start drinking from humans again.

"So … he never did love me, did he?" she rasped, shaking her head. Alexander pursed his lips and concentrated.

"Well, when a one—human or vampire—is bitten on sacred ground, they are bonded literally for eternity. They live together, and they die together. It's a marriage that can never ever be severed. Claude isn't stupid enough to bond with someone just to drink blood. I think turning you over sacred ground was a double win for him—he truly loved you and wanted to spend the rest of his life with you, and he could also return to hunting humans. So, to answer your question, I believe Claude must have really loved you."

"And to think I was just beginning to think I loved him return," she whispered. "I don't know what I was thinking, dating a vampire." She immediately clapped a hand over her mouth, widening her eyes in embarrassment. "I mean, well, for a girl like me, I'm not even into that supernatural stuff and—wait, I mean …"

Instead of being hurt and offended, Alexander merely smiled and shook his head.

"It's okay, I understand what you're saying. Raven has always been in love with the story of vampires ever since she was a little girl. Dark and gothic styles just isn't your thing. You and Claude contrasted in style, but I'm sure that has nothing to do with falling in love. And you stayed with him even when you found out he was a vampire. That sure is something, especially coming from a girl that isn't into our culture.

"But Claude has always been a dangerous and confused vampire. He was born a half-vampire and was always jealous of me. He thought I was favored and felt alone because he was different. I thought he'd turned over a new leaf when I decided to turn him and his friends into a full vampire, but that didn't last very long and became hunger-filled monsters. He's very unpredictable and dangerous, especially for someone like you." Maddie looked down at the ground, as if ashamed. "You didn't know, so of course I won't put this against you, but for safekeeping, I should keep an eye on you. Claude is determined to get what he wants, and right now he wants you."

"I'm sorry to have to steal you away from Raven," Maddie joked, wiping her tears. She was relieved that Alexander had volunteered to watch her, since nobody else really could.

"Don't worry," Alexander chuckled. "Raven wanted me to do this. She would have come with me, but her parents would have caught her and I didn't want her getting into any more trouble. She knows what you're going through—she's had a couple of run-ins with troublesome vampires, including Claude."

"That does sound troublesome," Maddie joked. Alexander smiled.

"Come on. We should get you home before your mother calls the police to search for you. I'll keep watch on your apartment, in case any particular vampires pass by," he suggested.

"Thank you so much, Alexander."

"What are friends for? Lucky I'm one of the good guys," he teased. Maddie giggled and smiled.

"Very."


	36. Chapter 36

**_Vampire Kisses fanfiction  
PLASTIC PROMISES  
_Claude Sterling/OC: Madeline Torrent  
**

* * *

**Chapter 36.**

* * *

Claude's fist punched through a stone statue in the graveyard in rage. His eyes had flashed a bloody red and his fangs were fully extended, his teeth bared. He hadn't yet changed into his clothes, still standing around in naught but his boxers, but he didn't care. Maddie was gone.

He didn't know who to hate more; her or himself. He hated that even though she'd said she loved him, she wouldn't let him turn her. It was a better way of consummating their love instead of just having sex, which was what he was sure she thought would only happen. Wrong. If she truly loved him, she would have let him bite her.

Yet he hated himself for scaring her off. He shouldn't have rushed into the biting, but the smell of her blood was so overwhelming, and imagining drinking it had turned him into the obsessive douche.

He gripped the pedestal of the statue, ducking his head and breathing heavily. He had to get her back. She probably didn't want to see him at the moment, but he had to go looking for her. Hopefully Alexander wouldn't be getting his ass into any of Claude's business.

**x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x**

Maddie sat in the passenger seat of Alexander's black Mercedes-Benz. He drove her back to her apartment as quickly as he could, and, when they arrived, Alexander assured her that he would be standing guard, protecting her and her family for her. Smiling widely, she thanked him again with a hug and hopped out of the car, running quickly barefoot up the iron stairs in Kat's gothic clothing. She unlocked the door, slowly opened it, and tiptoed inside.

The complex was dark and she slithered her way through the family room to the hallway, peeking into her mother's room. She was fast asleep, still in her diner uniform. She must have worked far later than expected. Hopefully her mother hadn't checked on Melinda and Maddie's room to see if both of them were asleep.

Melinda was curled up in her bed, Halo pressing her body against Melinda's face. Maddie quickly undressed out of Kat's clothing, throwing them under her bed so no one could find them, and put on her pajamas. She climbed in bed, but not before looking out her window. The Mercedes was gone, but in the distance she could make out a fluttering object. When it appeared in the moonlight, she saw the form of a vampire bat. Her heart beat louder in her ears, unsure whether it was Claude or Alexander, but as it flew to her window, it nodded and hung itself on a branch outside it, and Maddie knew it was her friendly creature of the night.

* * *

Maddie felt as if she'd gotten zero amount of sleep last night. She'd been shaken awake by Melinda, who was already dressed for school. Her lips were pursed and her eyebrows narrowed.

"Jeez, finally," Melinda scowled. "I don't know what's with you guys. Mom's not waking up either."

Maddie sat up and rubbed her eyes, eyeliner smearing onto the back of her hand.

"What do you mean?"

"She's totally knocked out. She came home super late last night, like, around twelve. The diner was especially busy for some reason," Melinda explained. "Maybe you could get her out of bed. If she saw you with your face like that, I'm sure she'd jump with fright. It'd get her heart racing." Melinda grinned and Maddie rolled her eyes.

"Oh shut up. Go eat your breakfast," Maddie ordered as she threw her sheets off of her. Melinda sighed and reached for Halo, who was still snoozing on her bed. She left the room and Maddie turned towards the window. The tree branch was empty, but Maddie figured Alexander had left to find a darker setting to hide himself from the sun.

She yawned widely and stretched. Yesterday had been a crazy memory. As she thought about what Claude did (or was about to do) to her made her heart sink lower and lower to her gut. She couldn't believe he'd lied to her like that, although, according to Alexander, this probably shouldn't have been a surprise. He'd said Claude was dangerous and unpredictable, and judging from the first night they'd met, this shouldn't have been news to her. Yet she insisted on giving him another chance.

"I am such an idiot," she whispered to herself. She blamed herself for getting her heart broken. She didn't _have_ to give Claude that second chance. She could have ran after someone like Travis, because, apparently, _he_ was interested in her too.

She knew one thing: she wasn't going to chase after boys for a long time, let alone give them second chances.

To refrain from crying about last night, she went into the sole bathroom of the apartment and washed her face. Melinda had been right; her face looked quite frightening. It was much worse than last night since she'd slept with her running make-up. She undressed and jumped in the shower to quickly wash up, and then walked back to her room to get ready for school.

She pulled out a pair of too tight skinny jeans that were torn in the knees and were stretching inside the thighs, her second-hand pink Hollister tee, and the ballet flats that she'd put in her bag from last night. She brushed her hair, letting it air-dry, and parted it down the middle, bringing the ends over her shoulders. She fixed her side-swept bangs before putting on her eyeliner and mascara, then left to wake her mother.

Melinda hadn't been exaggerating when she said her mother was knocked out. Maddie was practically screaming in her face when Melinda came in and suggested to pour water on her face. Maddie rolled her eyes at the idea, but agreed anyway. As Melinda dripped a couple of water droplets from her water bottle on to the side of her mother's face, her dark sapphire orbs fluttered open.

"Dang Mom," Maddie sighed. "You were really beginning to scare us."

"We thought you might have died or something," Melinda added, and Maddie scowled at her.

"What time is it?" Lucy Torrent asked groggily.

"Almost seven. We're really going to be late for school," Melinda mentioned.

"And you're definitely late for your shift," Maddie added. Their mother groaned and placed a hand over her forehead.

"I'm really not feeling good enough to go to work," she moaned, rolling on her back. "Maddie, do you think you can take the car and take Mellie to school?"

"But I don't even have my license!" Maddie exclaimed.

"It's okay, I trust you." A faint smile spread on her pale lips.

Her mother really didn't look good, Maddie realized. She'd only driven a couple of times, but with Uncle Lucian, since her mother was too busy at the diner. It wasn't as hard as she'd thought it would be, but then again, she'd never driven her mother's little sedan before, only Uncle Lucian's huge rusty van.

Sighing heavily, Maddie nodded. "Well, okay," she said.

"But what about work, Mom? You won't get paid today. What will we do?"

"We'll be fine," their mother assured. "If we really fall behind, we can ask Uncle Lucian for a little cash, just to cover what we can't. We'll pay him back later."

Maddie and Melinda nodded in unison and kissed their mother goodbye on the cheek. Melinda walked out of the room, grabbing her backpack and books, but Maddie lingered behind, watching her mother from the doorway.

"You've been working too hard," Maddie murmured. Lucy glanced at her before looking away.

"You know we need the money," she said.

"Uncle Lucian will understand. We can borrow some from him. You're not well. You've overworked yourself. You need a couple days off."

"You know I can't do that, Maddie," her mother said.

"You're going to have to, though. I can fill in for you during the evenings, if you'd like," she offered.

"Of course not! You have to worry about school. Junior year is supposed to be the most stressful. I don't want you to worry about working as well."

"Well, just think about taking a short vacation. You really need it, Mom," Maddie said. Lucy sighed heavily.

"I know," she whispered. Afterwards, Maddie left her room, returning to hers to grab her tote. She walked out to the kitchen, grabbed a s'mores Pop-Tart, and took the keys from the kitchen counter.

"You sure you can do this?" Melinda asked skeptically.

"Have a little faith, won't you?" Maddie snapped. Melinda rolled her eyes.

"Goodbye, Halo. I may never see you again, on account of my sister is driving illegally and may kill us as we know it," Melinda teased. The kitten stared at her briefly before returning to her breakfast.

"Oh shut up," Maddie groaned as she pushed through the door, leading her younger sister to the car out on the street.


	37. Chapter 37

**_Vampire Kisses fanfiction  
PLASTIC PROMISES  
_Claude Sterling/OC: Madeline Torrent  
**

* * *

**Chapter 37.**

* * *

Maddie pulled into the school parking lot, parking as far away as she could from the other cars. She knew how to get down the street and knew basic laws of the road, but her parking was terrible. She had to back out and move forwards about five times before her parking was at the very least _decent_.

She climbed out, grabbing her tote and slinging it over her shoulder, and shut the door behind her, locking it with the key. She tucked the keys safely in a secret pocket of her tote bag where she kept her cell phone, and walked through the parking lot to get to the school building.

And then she saw Travis's BMW, the slick silver vehicle shining brilliantly in the sun. He climbed out of his expensive car and stood tall, looking over the top of his car and glancing at her unexpectedly. Suddenly, everything that had happened with Claude last night returned to her. It was because of Travis everything had happened. If he hadn't pressured her to breaking up with her, Maddie wouldn't have wanted to go back to the Coffin Club to get her mind off of him, and then Claude would have never led her away to the graveyard, and from there, would have never tried to bite her.

Yup. It was all Travis Mitchell's fault that Maddie discovered her boyfriend's true intentions.

Then again, maybe this was some sort of favor. After all, now that she thought about it, it was bound to happen. Still, she was sorry that it did, because now she had to endure the pain of her broken heart, and the lies she'd listened to from him. At least it was now rather than later in the future.

His baby blue eyes locked onto her dark ones for a long few seconds before Maddie tore apart her gaze and walked past the car, head ducked. She didn't want to have anything to do with Travis either, but only because whenever she looked at him, she saw Claude. Both of them were pathetic, just like they were both so desperate to have her. She hated that.

Maddie walked up to her locker to pull out her textbook for history when she felt a presence behind her. She didn't have to look over her shoulder to know Travis was lingering nearby.

"Can we talk?" he muttered sheepishly. She closed her eyes for a moment, his voice registering in her mind. She could hear the soft murmur of his tone when he'd said he'd loved her the day in the library. She could hear him persisting that she break up with Claude to be with him. Well, congratulations to Travis—she and Claude were definitely not an item anymore. Not after that _second_ attempt to drink from her. Enough was enough. No more dating vampires.

She turned around and absorbed Travis's attractive appearance in one breath. His blonde hair wasn't spiked today, but rather left down and framing his face. Maddie thought his hairstyle sort of resembled that of Dylan Sprouse from the Disney Channel, but she shook her head. Now was not the time to compare hairstyles of celebrities.

His blue eyes were filled with sorrow and shame, and it was this that Maddie knew that _he_ knew what he'd persuaded her to do was wrong.

"What is it, Travis?" Maddie asked, closing her locker door and leaning against it. He was dressed in dark straight leg designer jeans and a white v-neck shirt with sleeves that hugged his biceps and a small logo on his left breast, another sign of his expensive clothing. One hand was stuffed into the pocket of his jeans while the other was gripping a strap of his backpack. His eyebrows narrowed as he looked into her eyes, and Maddie crossed her arms. "Well?"

She immediately regretted saying that. She'd sounded too rude, but she honestly hadn't intended for that. She just wanted him to say what he was going to, or else she was going to be late to US history.

"I just wanted to say I was sorry about what I said yesterday," he said softly, his cheeks reddening just a little. Maddie struggled to hide her smile. His blushing was kind of cute. "It was wrong of me to persuade you to break up with Claude. That wasn't fair to either him or you. I hope we can forget that happened."

"We can," Maddie agreed. "Besides, you've got no reason to persuade. We had a fight last night. I don't want to see him for a long time."

Other than Alexander, Maddie hadn't admitted this to anyone, not even her mother.

Travis's eyes widened with surprise. "You broke up with him?"

"Well, I didn't verbally tell him, but yeah, basically. Although, as stubborn and persistent Claude is, he'd probably deny it, so I'll have to tell him in his face that we're through."

"Wow …" Travis said, then pressed his lips together, his eyes wandering away from her face. He flipped his bangs out of his face.

"Yep. But, for the record," she continued, "I didn't do it because you wanted me to. It was all coincidental. I wouldn't have done something as shallow as that in a million years," she said coldly. Travis looked down shamefully.

"I know. That was really wrong. But, like I said, I'm hoping we can put this behind us and return to being friends. I won't pressure you into doing anything," he said. Maddie arched an eyebrow and tilted her head.

"We can put this behind us. I'd like to return being friends too. However," she paused and eyed him warily, "who the hell are you and what have you done with that baseball boob, Travis Mitchell?"

Travis stared at her, taken aback for a moment, but the two soon fell into a fit of laughter.

"Here, let me walk you to class," Travis suggested. "I've got Miss Douglass for biology anyway, and it's on the way."

"Or you just want to be around me because you're _so in love_ with me," Maddie teased. Travis scowled.

"Oh shut up, Torrent," he snapped, but then grinned, shaking his head.

They joked and laughed with each other, as if they'd been friends for the longest time, as if yesterday had never even happened. Maddie was actually grateful for this. She really needed a friend right now, even if the person she'd chosen to be her friend of comfort was really tied into her entire love mess.

Travis dropped her off at her classroom, bidding her goodbye. She sat down at her desk next to Olivia, one of her artist friends, who was eyeing her warily.

"Okay, so you and Travis Mitchell are officially friends now? What's the big idea? Since when is the great Maddie Torrent friends with a guy like _him_?" she asked, pursing her lips and arching an eyebrow. Maddie rolled her eyes and dropped her textbook onto her desk.

"Can't I be friends with whomever I want?" Maddie retorted. Olivia sat back and crossed her arms. Her ballerina figure was draped in tight jeans and a floral boat-neck blouse, an armless shawl of neutral color finished her style. Her short, jaw-length blonde hair fell loosely about her face in a pin-straight fashion, a blue flower clipped just above her ear. Olivia was actually one of Maddie's good friends, but she was more absorbed in the visual arts and the people who shared her fascination, so Maddie never really lingered long with her.

"Well, yeah. I mean, I'm not trying to tell you who you can and can't be friends with. It's just … Travis _Mitchell_? Kinda weird, considering you two have been sworn enemies since—what?—elementary school," she explained.

"Well, Travis and I are rebuilding the bridges we burned. Nothing wrong with that," Maddie said. Olivia looked at her warily again before sighing and nodding.

"Yeah, you're right. Well, congrats on becoming friends with the king of jocks of the school," Olivia teased. Maddie rolled her eyes and giggled. There was nothing wrong with being friends with Travis. Things would work out for the better. Maybe even for once she'd enjoy coming to school, instead of dreading it because she'd see him in a few of her classes. Besides, despite those soft feelings she thought she felt for him, she wasn't going to go out of her way and date him. She needed to lay off the dating for a while. No boyfriends for Maddie … not just yet.


	38. Chapter 38

**_Vampire Kisses fanfiction  
PLASTIC PROMISES  
_Claude Sterling/OC: Madeline Torrent  
**

* * *

**Chapter 38.**

* * *

The graveyard was just a bit noisy that night, all because of Claude's roaring and growling. He could hardly sleep because of the night before and would have chased after Maddie as soon as she'd ran away, but he thought that getting a good day's sleep and refreshing himself for the next night would be better. That way he could think about what he would say to lure Maddie back into his arms. She was stubborn and tough, but he thought he could do it.

When Kat, Rocco, and Tripp sauntered back to graveyard, they'd expected to see Claude making love with Maddie. Instead, they saw him in his boxers, punching holes into the stone statues and kicking tombstone out of the ground in rage. Tripp teased him for being stood up by Maddie, but the malice in Claude's red eyes told the trio that he wasn't joking about anything.

"She's gone," he seethed, his fingers curling around a gravestone. It began to crumble in his fierce grasp. "I had her, and now she's gone. I was _so close_."

"What are you talking about?" Kat snapped, her eyes narrowing. "Where's Maddie? What did you do?"

"I was going to turn her!" Claude snarled at her, baring his teeth. Rocco glared at him for his hostility towards his girlfriend. "She freaked out and ran off. And now Alexander's probably going to get his dirty nose into my situation and prevent me from seeing her because I didn't do as he requested. I was going to suck her blood, so now he's probably going to punish me, the bastard."

"Our chance of drinking from humans is _gone_?" hissed Kat. She stomped towards him, her fangs bared, a long finger pointing at his chest. "You're going to go find her, Sterling. I'm sick of this vegetarian shit. I need _real_ blood, not the crap from animals."

"I'm _going_ to get her back," Claude growled. "I'm not giving up."

"I can't believe you scared her off!" Rocco snarled. "I thought you said she'd be ready."

"Yeah, well, apparently I was wrong, _Rocco_," snapped Claude.

"Didn't you say that she'd be ready when she fell in love with you? How do you know she's really in love with you?" Tripp inquired.

"Because she told me. We were going to do in the coffin and she told me that she loved me," Claude assured.

"Unless you're making that up," Kat sneered.

"I'm _not_."

"So how could you have scared her off like that? Didn't she know you were going to change her eventually? Hadn't you guys _talked_ about it?"

Claude was silent for a brief moment. His friends all narrowed their eyes and folded their arms. Claude was guilty as charged. He'd never talked to Maddie about changing her, but he figured she'd be so in love with him that it wouldn't have mattered what he did to her. She was about to have sex with him, _willingly_—how could she have backed out of becoming a vampire?

Okay, that was obvious, and a very lame comparison, but Claude didn't think much of it. He'd thought he had the cat in the bag. He thought his plan would have worked, that it was completely fool-proof. Well, he'd been wrong before.

"You're an idiot," Kat spat, rolling her eyes. "I'm going to bed. You're searching for her, tomorrow, and you're going to get her to fall in love with you again, because I'm getting sick of the animal blood. I need a real hunt, we all do, and it was because of your stupid heart—falling for some human girl—that got us into this trouble."

After that, she marched for her mausoleum to dress into her pajamas. The boys did the same and Claude glared at them all, stomping towards his coffin and jumping inside of it, slamming the lid shut so hard that it could have shattered if he hadn't been more careful. He turned on his side in the complete darkness of the wooden box, and ran the tips of his fingers over the engraved letters of the black felt he'd lined his coffin with.

_Madeline_. He said the name in his mind, repeating it over and over each time he ran his fingers across it. She probably hated him now—actually, she'd be a fool to not hate him now. If Maddie was even remotely smart, she wouldn't look at him again, but he didn't want that to happen. Claude needed her for his own personal needs. He needed her so she could become a vampire, bonded forever to him and therefore incapable of being taken away from by Alexander for drinking humans, but also because he was truly in love with her, and that most certainly was _not_ a lie.

* * *

The next night, Claude flew out of his coffin, despite his lack of sleep during the day. He longed for evening to arrive so he could get out and get dressed to hunt Maddie down. It wouldn't be too hard. He just needed to sniff out her scent and he was good to go. More than likely she was either at home or at the dance studio. He thanked her mentally for being so predictable.

However, he was still upset about how the events of last night had turned out. None of that was supposed to happen. She was supposed to welcome his lips against her neck, welcome the fangs that wanted to puncture her skin, welcome the possibility of becoming a vampire for him. She didn't however, welcome any of that. Instead, she resented it. She hadn't wanted him to do that to her at all. Sure she was ready for the sex, but she wasn't ready for the change, and to Claude, that irked him.

He pulled on a pair of black skinny jeans with hazardously torn knees, wrapping loads of stud, spike, and missile belts to his thin waist. He tugged a mesh shirt of his bare chest and pulled on his leather motorcycle jacket with the spiked shoulders over it. He tied up his steel-toed combat boots and shook the dyed-blonde hair from his dark malicious eyes.

"Alexander," Claude hissed to himself, "if you're involved, you're going to be _so_ sorry."

He took off, not even letting his friends know he was leaving, transforming into the speedy vampire bat. His friends would know where he was.

He arrived in front of Maddie's apartment. Landing behind a drugstore across the street from his destination, he transformed back into his human shape and marched out from behind it, his eyes narrowed into slits as he peered up at her lit window. She was here, he could smell her. Her family was here as well.

He walked around the side of the building, tilting his head back as he looked up at Maddie's window. He wanted her back. He wanted her with him. He pleaded for a second chance in his mind. He tried not to fume over her running away, and then kneeing him in the groin when he got too close. Still, his crotch did ache from the collision.

"You just don't know when enough is enough, do you, Claude?" chimed a voice which made Claude's lip twitch. They twisted into a snarl as he looked straight ahead, meeting the identical dark brown eyes of his cousin, Alexander. He'd been right; Alexander _would_ get involved. He was _really_ going to be sorry.

Alexander's eyes were narrowed, his arms folded over his chest. He sported a black Amon Amarth shirt underneath a black jacket, the sleeves rolled up to his elbows, exposing his multiple stud and rubber bracelets. His legs were encompasses in baggy black cargo pants, his finishing touch being his trademark punk combat boots. Alexander's black hair fell into his face as he stared down Claude.

"What now, cousin? What are you going to do this time?" Claude taunted, sneering at him.

"I don't need to do anything now, except protect Maddie from you," Alexander said firmly. Claude tilted his head back and laughed humorlessly.

"Maddie doesn't _need_ protecting, especially from me. The only person she should be protected from is the douchebag jock at her school who is so intent on stealing her from me, and I can do that all on my own," Claude snarled. Alexander rolled his eyes.

"You're pathetic, Claude," he spat, and Claude widened his eyes, his face fuming. "Don't you know what you've done? You were so obsessed with feeding that you even went to the extent of changing Maddie so that she could be bonded forever to you. Yeah, I know your plan," he added, noticing Claude's twisted expression of puzzlement. He was being exposed by his pureblood cousin, the wretch. "If Maddie was bonded to you, then there would be no way of me taking her away from you, giving you freewill to do whatever you please. To _drink_ from whomever you please.

"Fortunately for me, you spared me the trouble of punishing you myself. You've already done that," Alexander chimed, and Claude glared.

"What are you talking about?" he snapped.

"Maddie doesn't _ever_ want to see you again. You do realize that it's over between you two. She doesn't want to be with you anymore."

"You don't know that! That's total bullshit! Maddie _loves_ me! She told me herself," Claude cried, pointing at himself in the chest. Something stirred behind her window and Claude could smell a human, no doubt eavesdropping.

Alexander remained calm, his eyes still narrowed, his arms still crossed over his chest. He didn't budge from his stance. "But I _do_ know. Maddie told me herself that she didn't want to see you again. Sure, she might have loved you, but she now knows she was being used. You brought this onto yourself, Claude. This is what happens when you lie."

"She believes she was being used because _you_ probably told her. The only person who's lying is you, Alexander," Claude snarled. Alexander arched his eyebrows and lifted his hands in defense.

"Now, now, don't go blaming the entire situation on me. _I'm_ not the bad guy, Claude. _You're_ the one who tried to change Maddie without her approval. If I know better, I'd say that was definitely not _my_ fault."

Claude was seething with fury now. He wanted nothing to rip Alexander's throat open for ruining his life. Alexander _always_ had to be the perfect one. He _always_ had to get things right, he _always_ had to get the attention and praise, and he _always_ had to show Claude up. Well, not anymore. Claude was seriously fed up with Alexander's "righteousness." He wasn't about to take away the one thing Claude truly loved.

And as his eyes turned that hungry bloody red, darting for Alexander with extended fangs and claws, he didn't stop to think what that one thing really was: Maddie … or blood?


	39. Chapter 39

**_Vampire Kisses fanfiction  
PLASTIC PROMISES  
_Claude Sterling/OC: Madeline Torrent  
**

* * *

**Chapter 39.**

* * *

Maddie's textbook lay open in her lap, her back pressed against the wall of her window as she sat on her bed. Her mother hadn't gotten any better by the time Maddie had gotten home from school, though her mother insisted it was nothing major. Maddie didn't believe her, but decided to give her one more day. If she was still feeling incredibly under the weather, she'd call a doctor.

Suddenly, she heard whispering voices outside of her room. Alexander had been keeping watch; could someone have stopped to talk to him—someone like Claude?

Maddie gulped and peeked out her window, not moving the blinds out of the way to keep more discreet. Her gut twisted.

Claude was there, standing before Alexander with a snarl plastered over his face. He definitely was not happy seeing Alexander in front of her house. Even from her third story window she could see how Claude's eyes had shifted from the lustrous brown to a malicious blood red.

She gulped and turned her back against the wall, breathing heavily. Of course Claude arriving at her house was expecting, but the sight of him still made her heart pound in her throat. After all, she still had to verbally tell him that the relationship was over.

She strained to hear the conversation. Maybe they'd start talking a little louder. After all, these buildings were made with thin walls.

And she was right. Their voices began to rise, particularly Claude's. She feared that they'd be so loud that her mother would go out and see what was going on. She had to shut them up.

Maddie crouched in front of the window again, peeking through the slits of the horizontal blinds and gasped.

Claude was darting for Alexander for a fight. With their powers, they'd certainly cause attention. She didn't care if it was stupid—she needed to go stop them.

She flew off out of her room, despite only wearing her pajama shorts and a wife-beater. Melinda looked at her strangely as she dashed out of the front door.

The night air nipped at her exposed skin. She tied her hair up into a ponytail as she jogged down the iron stairs. There'd be no vampire brawl in front of her house or in between people she knew closely.

She rounded the building, panting from her rushing out of her house and down the stairs. Alexander and Claude were already in a brawl, and they were moving so quickly that they'd become a blur to her.

"Stop it!" she cried in protest.

They stopped, as if they'd just noticed she was there. Maybe they did, as they were too wrapped up in themselves.

Claude's eyes widened when they landed on her, and Maddie gulped, her stomach churning again.

"Baby!" he cried, running towards her. "Listen. Whatever Alexander's told you, don't listen. He's an asswipe, you know that." Alexander rolled his eyes, and Claude grabbed hold of Maddie's arms, squeezing them in his hands. She winced at his touch, and she noticed Alexander's hard glare from behind him.

"Let her go, Claude," he ordered.

"Shut up, brat," Claude spat back. He turned back to her, stroking her jaw. "I love you so much. Nothing can come between us. We'll fix whatever this problem is. Come on, let me walk you upstairs."

_"No,"_ Maddie said firmly. Claude was taken aback. "And Alexander hasn't told me anything but your true intentions for dating me. You may be in love with me, Claude—"

"I _am_ in love with you!"

"—but you want to change me so you can go back to drinking blood … so that Alexander can't take me away from you for breaking your promise to him. That's just like you, isn't it? Feeding people plastic promises … You're a _fake_," she spat.

Claude's face grew livid yet again, and he glared at her. His grip around her tightened as he bared his teeth.

"Let her _go_, Claude!" shouted Alexander coming up from behind him. He violently clapped a hand on his shoulder and pulled him away from Maddie, in an attempt to release her from him. He prevailed, but Claude's extended claws had left gashes on her arms. She gasped at the sting and clapped a hand over one of them.

"Oh no! Maddie!" Alexander gasped. Claude was still, and Maddie watched as his eyes almost roll to the back of his head, getting high off of the smell of her oozing blood. She stared at him in horror, shaking her head and backing away, watching as his pierced lips twist into a demonic smile.

"Alexander!" Maddie cried, pointing at Claude.

Alexander understood her cry and pounced on Claude, holding him back before he could even move an inch towards Maddie.

"Get inside your house," he instructed, holding Claude's arms behind his back as he writhed in his grip. "I'm taking Claude away from here.

"Just … don't fight, okay?" she pleaded, eyeing Claude. He was truly a bloodthirsty animal, and Maddie couldn't see why he couldn't just adapt to Alexander's calm and gentle ways. How hard was it really? It upset her to see him like this, and as she briefly shut her eyes, she felt hot tears pool at the edges of them.

"I'll be safe?" she asked as Alexander began dragging Claude away from her. "My family and I … we'll be safe, won't we?"

"Yes. Kat, Rocco, and Tripp wouldn't have the guts to come down here without Claude. They know he's the one that needs to bring you back, not one of them," Alexander explained.

"But," he added, "align your window with garlic, and be sure to have a bright light ready if they come around. It's always safe to have precautions." He tightened his grip around the wriggling Claude, glaring down at him.

"What if I accidentally shine it on you?" asked Maddie, worried. Alexander gave her a gentle smile.

"If I come back, I'll give you a holler, a bat screech to be specific. If you hear that, then it's safe to assume it will be me. Anyone else lurking in the shadows, shine your light onto them, okay?" Maddie nodded. Alexander sighed heavily. "And, Maddie? I'm really sorry about my cousin. I'm sorry you have to go through this drama. Try to have a good night's sleep, alright?"

"Thanks, Alexander. You're a great friend." Alexander smiled.

"Keep in touch with Raven, okay? I'll be back by evening tomorrow to stand watch again." He nodded at her arms. "Get those under hot water to stop the bleeding and bandage them up. They're not as deep as you think, thank goodness."

"I will," Maddie nodded and backed away as Alexander dragged Claude away from her.

"Let me go, you bastard," Claude snarled, his pointed fangs poking out from his gums. "Let me go! Let me taste her! Let me have some of that delectable blood! Let me taste her!"

Maddie shut her eyes and breathed heavily, trying to ignore Claude's screaming. It was all a mistake, but, luckily, she was on her way of getting out of it.


	40. Chapter 4O

**_Vampire Kisses fanfiction  
PLASTIC PROMISES  
_Claude Sterling/OC: Madeline Torrent  
**

* * *

**Chapter 40.**

* * *

Alexander pushed Claude into an alley, fighting him off and pinning him against the brick wall of a building, his forearm to Claude's throat. Claude continued to writhe and shout endless strings of profanities, but Alexander was not offended. Instead, he was ashamed of what Alexander had done. As much as he wanted to, he knew that giving Claude their grandmother's blood vial that contained the blood of royally pure vampires. It was the only way a half-vampire like Claude could ever become a full vampire like Alexander. Alexander knew how lonely Claude was because of the way he was born, and he pitied him, but he was still untrustworthy, and Alexander continued to curse himself for being so stupid in letting him have the vial. He blamed himself for Claude's out of control bloodlust.

"I'm disappointed in you, Claude," Alexander murmured, his face fallen as he looked into the angry red eyes of his cousin. "You couldn't do one thing for me, even when I gave you something you'd always dreamed. I guess old habits do die hard. I've never met anyone so _selfish_."

Claude hissed at him, growling like an animal as he still thirsted for Maddie's blood.

_"Let me go,"_ he seethed. _"Let me drink for her. Let me have my Madeline!"_

"You won't _ever_ see Maddie again, Claude," Alexander said darkly.

_"Fuck you,"_ Claude spat. Alexander tilted his chin, his upper lip twitching slightly. He raised a fist and, while Claude writhed defenselessly under Alexander's forearm, let it collide with the side of his face. Claude roared in pain, and Alexander's glare returned to a look of disappointment. He removed his arm from Claude's throat, and Claude fell limply to the ground, gasping for air, for Alexander's arm had been crushing his windpipe.

Alexander dug for his cell phone in his pocket and flipped it open.

"Jameson? I need you to do me a favor," Alexander said into the sleek black mobile phone. "My aunt and uncle need to come down to America. Claude needs to go home."

**x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x**

Maddie opened the shower curtains and walked out, grabbing a weathered green towel to wrap around her dripping body. She examined the wounds in her arms in the mirror. The bleeding had definitely stopped, but she would need bandages for them, as Alexander had suggested. She opened the medicine cabinet and pulled out a roll of gauze, then applied it to both of her biceps. She would need to be wearing sleeves for a while, or else her mother would raise suspicion as to how she'd gotten the jagged scratches.

She left the steaming bathroom and walked into her room, pulling out a fresh pair of navy blue pajama shorts and a white shirt from her mother's diner, the logo of the restaurant printed large on the back. After she'd gotten dressed, she climbed into bed, pulling her covers over her legs, then bringing her legs to her chin.

She realized she was trembling, then. Too many chaotic scenarios in such a short time period. Claude definitely brought drama to her life, as if she really needed it.

She shut her eyes and once again felt the hot tears threatening to escape down her cheeks. Claude ruined her life. He'd broken her heart, lied to her, and then wanted to suck her blood. What kind of boyfriend did that, vampire or not? She envied Raven. Alexander was perfect, even though he was a vampire. He was tame, loyal, gentle, and honest. He could protect her as her knight in shining armor, and then retreat back to a secluded area where they could snuggle with each other until the sun rose, all without any biting involved.

It wasn't just Raven Maddie was jealous of—it was every other girl involved in a successful relationship. Why did Maddie's have to turn out so dreadful? Was it because she'd given the boy who threatened her life another shot at redemption? Was it because she'd been torn between two boys? Was it because her life was already a mess, so why not throw a troublesome boyfriend into the lot?

Maddie let out a short sob, gasping for air, before she buried her head into her arms, dwelling in self-pity, but it wasn't just that. She was still shaken up by her most recent interference with Claude's bloodlust.

She needed to calm herself. Her body was still trembling, and, no matter how many deep breaths she took, she couldn't stop it. She reached for the phone on her nightstand that separated hers and Melinda's bed and began to dial a phone number unconsciously. It rang a couple of times, and when the line picked up, she was surprised at herself for calling that number.

"Hello?" Travis's voice inquired on the other line.

Before Maddie could even muster a word to say in response, she broke down crying. Why the hell was she calling one of the boys who were making her love life so complicated?

"Maddie? Is this you?" His voice was concerned, and he continued to ask her what was wrong. After a while of asking her the same thing over and over again, he gave her some time to just cry over the phone. She'd finally stopped, and sniffled, wiping her nose with the back of her hand.

"I'm sorry," she said softly.

"Don't be," he said. "What happened? Or would it be best to not mention it?"

"It's … Claude. He ruined everything. He's horrible. He's violent and possessive and obsessed. I wish I'd never let him in my life," she sobbed.

"He's _violent_?" Travis asked with outrage. "Has he laid a hand on you?"

"Yes, but—"

"Oh fuck no. Where does he live, Maddie? I need to straighten his shit out."

"No!" she cried.

_"No?"_

"No, don't. He's much stronger than you. You wouldn't stand a chance."

"Oh, thanks a lot," he snapped sarcastically.

"I'm trying to protect you from him."

"If anybody needs protecting, it's _you_, Maddie."

"He's gone now. I have a friend who's taking care of him. Hopefully he won't be back."

"Yeah, well, when he does he's going to have a lot coming for him. It won't be pretty," Travis snarled. "Are you okay? How did he hurt you?"

"I'm fine now," Maddie assured, and she was relieved to be pouring everything out to him. Travis Mitchell, of all people she could find comfort in, it was him. She just had to remind herself that boyfriends were out of the question, and luckily by telling Travis her story, he understood it too.

But what also made her feel really good was that Travis was willing to stick up for her, to be _her_ knight in shining armor, even if she'd warned him about Claude's strength. Travis was a boy, so of course he'd act skeptical about his strength, but nonetheless, he'd said the words.

_"If anybody needs protecting, it's _you_, Maddie."_

She smiled on her end of the line and sniffled once more.

"Travis?" she piped, interrupting his ranting about how he was going to kick Claude's ass next time he so much laid eyes on her.

"Yeah?" he replied.

"Thanks for being there for me."

He was quiet on his end of the line, but Maddie could imagine his baby blue eyes widening with shock.

"Oh," he started hesitantly, unsure of what to say. "Yeah, sure. Anytime."

And even though he wasn't sure what to say to her thanks, Maddie giggled anymore, feeling the comfort of a friend, and forgetting the fact that they'd ever been enemies.


	41. Chapter 41

**_Vampire Kisses fanfiction  
PLASTIC PROMISES  
_Claude Sterling/OC: Madeline Torrent  
**

* * *

**Chapter 41.**

* * *

Mr. and Mrs. Sterling—Claude's parents—stood in the drawing room, glaring down at their son. Claude had finally calmed down after a soothing cup of blood from a blood bank bag, brought to him in an antique goblet by Constantine and Cassandra's gaunt and pale butler, Jameson. In addition to the arrival of Claude's parents, Alexander's had also joined them.

Like Alexander's parents, Claude's were tall and thin, and his father shared the same face as him, only a much older version. He was donned in a Victorian suit with a top hat, though now that he was indoors he had removed it. He looked very much like his younger brother, Constantine, though his long black hair trailed further down his back in a ponytail and was greying greater than his brother's. He had a mustache and goatee combo, which he was stroking in an attempt to calm himself from the fury he had for his son.

Claude's mother stood beside her husband, her heavily outlined aqua eyes narrowed to slits. Her thin, slightly curvy body was pressed in a fitting, floor-length, black, velvet dress with a wide-neck that exposed the top of her blindingly pale white chest. A string of black beads was wrapped around her thin neck, while her short black hair bounced in curls around her jawline, thin golden stripes streaking her hair.

"We are dreadfully sorry for this, Constantine," apologized Claude's father. Claude, who was sitting on a black Victorian loveseat, stared down at his combat boot-clad toes while his parents and his aunt and uncle Sterling stood around him, disappointed. Alexander was further away from the crowd, watching the scene from afar. That was typical Alexander, Claude thought snidely. Always trying to stay out of trouble, only this time he'd gotten his hands dirty, and he was going to be praised for it.

"Perhaps the blooding wasn't right yet. Perhaps he needed more time." Constantine's eyes briefly averted towards Alexander's direction.

_Yeah,_ thought Claude. _Blame him. After all, he's the one who gave me the vial, even though I'd been searching for it_.

"Claude has always been blinded by the want of full-vampirism. We thought after Alexander gave him the vial and became a full vampire he'd appreciate his bloodline more and not abuse his power," Claude's mother explained, looking down at her son. Claude couldn't look at her. He _wouldn't_ look at her. Even his parents were fascinated with a child like Alexander, and when they were rarely home, he didn't receive the attention he yearned for.

Thus began the troublemaking and rebelling. Claude always knew his parents treated him differently because of his half-vampirism, and even when they said that they love him no matter what kind of vampire he was, he found their words empty and anything but truthful.

"We will consider a heavy punishment for the havoc he's wreaked on your city," Claude's father said. He looked down at Claude, his eyes narrowing, but Claude still refused to look at his parents. "Your friends—the half-vampires—they were involved too, weren't they? Fair enough, we shall contact their parents and inform them to bring them back to Romania as well."

"They're not half-vampires anymore, Dad," Claude muttered under his breath. "They're full vampires just like me now."

"That doesn't change anything. The responsibility of a Sterling vampire is to not become consumed by bloodlust, and that is exactly what has happened with you. Full-vampirism wasn't the right thing for you. You should have stayed the way you were born," his father scolded coldly.

The words of his father stung him, but he tried not to show it. The last thing he wanted was to give in to their punishing. He had to remain strong and not let them win.

"Thank you, Constantine and Cassandra, for allowing us to stay a while. Again, we are sorry you were dragged into a misfit situation," Claude's mother said. Her eyes skimmed to Alexander and nodded at him. "And thank you, Alexander, for informing us. This couldn't drag out any longer."

"I couldn't let my friend get hurt," said Alexander, which made Claude's mother shoot a nasty glare at Claude.

"As soon as we get home, we're discussing this human girl business," she snapped. Claude finally tilted his head up and glared at her in return. What were they going to discuss? That he'd been in love with her and wanted to bond himself to her, out of love? That _she'd_ left _him_? That _she'd_ broken _his_ heart? The last people on Earth Claude wanted to discuss Maddie with were definitely his parents.

He stood up and curled his fingers into a tight fist.

"We're not discussing anything and I'm not going anywhere," he snapped.

"It's this attitude that got you into this situation, and it's this attitude that will give you a greater punishment," his mother scolded.

"You can't punish me—I'm already eighteen. I'm an adult. I live by my own rules. Why do you think I'm halfway around the globe instead of in Romania? _So I can get away from you two_."

"Claude Sterling!" boomed Claude's father, his voice so powerful, both Claude and Alexander slightly jumped. "Ever since you were a child you've been an insolent brat, and things haven't changed since you turn eighteen. Your attitude keeps you from being anything remotely _near_ adulthood. Being born half-vampire meant you should have never been blooded as a full one, and you've given us clear reasons to believe this. Now do as your mother says without any retorts. We're going home."

Claude's parents turned to bid goodbye to Constantine and Cassandra, and then were escorted to the door. Claude lingered behind, staring in petrified shock at his father. The words were sinking slowly and painfully, and he swallowed hard.

"Your parents love you, Claude," Alexander said softly from behind, placing a hand gently on his cousin's shoulder. "You've really hurt them by your actions, by killing people to satisfy your needs."

Claude scoffed and shook his head. "My parents have never loved me," he replied coldly and shrugged his hand off of his shoulder, walking towards to the front doors to meet with his parents.

He met his parents out on the front steps. His father had placed the top hat back on his head and his mother wrapped her shoulders with a lacey shawl. Claude stuffed his hands into the pockets of his jeans and scuffled past them, walking down the drive and towards the tall iron gate.

"We will send for someone to bring your coffin back up to Romania for you. For now you will make do with a guest coffin," his father said from behind, as if Claude was actually listening.

"And you will be sure to know that as we fly back home, you aren't drifting away from us just the slightest. Your father and I will be on either side of you to ensure your captivity," his mother instructed. Claude rolled his eyes, and the vampire family of three shifted into three small vampire bats and flew away into the night.


	42. Chapter 42

**_Vampire Kisses fanfiction  
PLASTIC PROMISES  
_Claude Sterling/OC: Madeline Torrent  
**

* * *

**Chapter 42.**

* * *

The morning summer sun beat down on Maddie's figure as she walked down the street from her apartment. Her mother had, thankfully, gotten better. Maddie was relieved that her mother was only sick with the flu and wasn't diagnosed with any of disease. She was back on her feet within a week, but Maddie advised her to cut her hours in half. She'd been working much too long shifts, which probably triggered her sickness. So they wouldn't have a lot of things to buy for themselves. Maddie convinced her that they only needed money to pay for rent and groceries.

Her mother had told her she was proud of her for being so responsible, and Maddie felt good about herself too. After all of the Claude and Travis drama back in the spring, she'd taught herself about being responsible with her choice in guys as well, and that meant not giving boys who harassed her a second chance.

Dressed in a pair of white-washed short denim shorts, her trademark black ballet flats, and a white scoop-neck tee that clung to her torso nicely, she absorbed the rays of the sun welcomingly, her lips pressed together and turned upward at the corners for a smile. She lifted the back of her long mane of short-layered black hair so the rays could touch the back of her neck.

Maddie loved the summer. She couldn't wait to get out of school to fully enjoy it.

"Less than a month," she told herself. "Just a few more weeks to go, and then summer break will come." She was ready for beaches, tanning, and nonstop dancing—from morning to night.

Maddie had made it down the block when a silver BMW suddenly appeared at her side. She arched an eyebrow and came to a halt.

The window to the passenger side of the car rolled down and she saw Travis smirking at her, his baby blue eyes hidden behind a pair of Ray Ban aviator shades. His blonde hair was rarely seen in spikes anymore, and Maddie was kind of glad. The spikes made him look a little babyish, but the loose skater hair he possessed was far more attractive.

"Care for a ride, my lady?" he chimed, unlocking the door. Maddie rolled her eyes and smirked.

"And give up a chance to appreciate this wonderful sun? Never."

"I've got a sunroof," Travis said, pointing to the roof of the car. "Besides, you'd really give up the chance to sit with me in my beautiful car?"

Again, Maddie rolled her eyes at him and sighed. "No need. I've already ridden in your car loads of times. Each time is the same."

Travis gasped, pretending to be offended. Maddie crossed her arms and looked at his face. She couldn't believe how much their relationship had changed in the course of one year. Ever since Maddie had called Travis and confessed to all of the things Claude had done to her, she felt even closer to him. They'd become excellent friends, and Maddie knew she could trust him, even if Travis's friends remained utter baseball boobs towards her.

"Well, alright. I've got a couple of math questions to ask Mr. Holland anyway," she said and climbed into the passenger seat of the sleek vehicle. Travis knitted his eyebrows.

"Math questions? Are you forgetting who has an A++ in pre-calculus?" Travis asked. Maddie rolled her eyes.

"Relax, jock. I haven't forgotten. Besides, Mr. Holland is the math _teacher_, therefore he knows more than you do. You've got stuff do to, places to be. I'm not going to bother you with my questions," Maddie said as she slipped on her seatbelt. Travis pulled from the curb and continued down the road.

He scoffed. "I wouldn't be so sure about Mr. Holland knowing more than _me_. I have outmathed him a couple of times."

_"Outmathed?"_ Maddie repeated in disbelief. "Now I know you're not passing English if you think _outmathed_ is a word."

"Relax, monster. I was kidding." Travis rolled his eyes behind his shades. "Besides, what makes you think I wouldn't make time to help you with your math?"

Maddie turned to him, her eyebrows arched. She stared at him briefly before turning her gaze straight ahead, her pressed lips turning into a small smile.

"That's nice of you," she hummed. He nudged her playfully with his fist and chuckled.

"'Course. We're friends, remember?" Maddie's smile widened and she shut her eyes.

"Right."

She heard clicking and opened her eyes again. She realized the sunroof was opening, and Maddie's expression beamed.

"There's your sun," Travis said proudly. Maddie laughed and shook her head. It was still baffling to her how close the two former sworn enemies had become. If someone were to tell her early that year that she'd be laughing in a car with Travis Mitchell, having a good time, she'd laugh hysterically. The idea was absurd, but at the moment, Maddie thought it was so right. The way he comforted her over the phone when she told him everything about Claude—

And then her smile slowly dropped. She'd never forgotten what had happened, how he'd almost bitten her on sacred ground, how his bloodlust had gotten out of control. The gashes on her arms had healed, but occasionally she'd feel the hot sting of his claws digging into her flesh as Alexander pulled him away from her. She could feel his hot breath on the back of her neck sometimes and always feared he was behind her. He haunted her, more than ever before.

"Maddie?" Travis's voice was distant in her thoughts, but she responded.

"I haven't stopped thinking about what happened," she said slowly and softly. "I don't think I'm ever going to forget."

"You mean about Claude … about him hurting you?" Travis asked. Maddie nodded, and he sighed. "Well, I wouldn't expect you to forget something like _that_. Frankly, I'd say it'd be crazy and quite a miracle if you could forget those events, but he's really scarred you."

"He appears in my dreams sometimes. I can even feel his breath on my neck, or his hands on me. I feel … _haunted_," she said, trancelike.

Silence fell between them as Travis pulled into the parking lot of the school. Maddie could tell Travis was at a loss of words to what she'd said. She sighed and unbuckled her seatbelt, slinging her tote bag over her shoulder.

"It's just something I have to get through. It happened months ago, but I can recover and move on. I just need time," she said and opened her door. Travis removed his shades, his eyes sad and staring down at the steering wheel. "Hey." His head lifted and met her gaze. She forced a smile. "I'm strong. Claude's never coming back. It's just all in my head. I'll get through it. Just be at my side, okay?"

Travis forced a smile in return and nodded. "Of course."

Maddie smiled wider and climbed out of the car.

"Oh, and, thanks for the ride," she said as she shut the door behind her and darted towards the building.


	43. Chapter 43

**_Vampire Kisses fanfiction  
PLASTIC PROMISES  
_Claude Sterling/OC: Madeline Torrent  
**

* * *

**Chapter 43.**

* * *

A couple of days after Maddie had confessed to Travis about her nightmares, she decided to make another visit to the dance studio. She'd finished her homework quickly (Travis's tutoring was quite effective and she was learning a lot from him in all her subjects) and had loads of time to spare. Besides, she didn't like having the house to herself; her mother was still working and Melinda's school was still in session.

She dressed out of her school clothes and pulled out a pair of black dance shorts and a loose v-neck blouse of an ivory color. When she'd tugged on her dancing attire, she smoothed out her shirt and fluffed her long black hair in the mirror. She slipped into her pair of ballet flats, grabbed her tote bag, and walked into the kitchen and took a water bottle from the small refrigerator.

Maddie was cheery that day. Though thoughts of Claude and his actions still wandered her mind, they weren't as bad as they were in the spring a couple of months ago. Her dreams had settled down ever since telling Travis about them, and Claude rarely turned out in them.

Grabbing her set of house keys, she walked out of her apartment and quickly down the iron staircase.

When she arrived at the dance studio, she placed her hand on the glass door and sighed. To think her sacred place now held dark memories.

_No,_ she immediately thought. _No negative thoughts_.

She sighed again and pushed open a door. She wouldn't have the entire building to herself today. Kara, Maddie's mother's friend's daughter, had classes today, so she'd be seeing mothers and their ballerina daughters in a couple of rooms. She wandered down the halls until she reached one of the last rooms of the studio to keep as far away from the music so she could focus on her own. She plugged her iPod into the adapter on the radio and scrolled through the music until she reached her dancing playlist.

A smile was brought to her lips when the soft serenades of Onerepublic wafted through her ears, filling her room and echoing off of the mirrors. She placed her bag down and shut her eyes before twirling to the middle of the room where she then began her private performance.

She was lost in her dancing as the minutes ticked by and new songs played, but she continued through them as if her performance was all one dance. Her thoughts were clouded by the peace her moving body and music brought her.

"A Beautiful Mess" by Jason Mraz began to play and Maddie's smile grew wider. It was one of her favorite songs with one of the most heartfelt meanings.

She lifted her arms in the air and let them float above her as she moved to the soft music, letting it carry her across the room, the serene smile never leaving her face.

At one moment, she opened her eyes, and when she peered into the mirror, she dropped her arms and froze, her eyes wide.

She caught Travis Mitchell's gaze from the doorway, his lean figure against the frame with his arms crossed. His eyebrows were arched, but there was a small smile dancing on his lips. How long had he been watching her? How had he known she'd be here?

Her eyebrows knitted together curiously, but she widened her eyes again when he began walking towards her, the music still playing soothingly in the background.

His blonde hair was tousled, as if somebody were running their fingers through it over and over again, thin bangs crossing his forehead. His baby blue eyes twinkled under the luminescent lights from above. His body was compressed in a pair of straight leg denim jeans, his baseball jersey draped over a tucked in white shirt, the long sleeves rolled to his elbows.

He extended his arm and grazed her jaw when he was in close distance, the bud of his thumb rubbing her cheek. Maddie's heart raced at his touch, and she tried to maintain control of her breathing, trying not to make it so obvious that his touch was actually making her insides contort erratically.

"Oh, Maddie," he said in a low murmur, his face closing in on hers, their noses almost touching. She could feel his warm breath on her face when he spoke, and her eyes just kept growing wider. And then he chuckled softly, "_You_ are a beautiful mess."

And then his lips crashed onto hers, those soft full lips eagerly colliding with her own, moving to their own dance to the rhythm of the song. Maddie's eyes widened so large that they hurt, but a few more seconds into Travis's kiss and her eyelids closed shut as she became entranced by the magical feel her former arch-nemesis was providing for her.

She locked her arms around Travis's sturdy neck, entangling her fingers into his already cute messy hair, and she felt his own athletic arms wrap around her waist, lifting her up off of the ground. Automatically, Maddie locked her legs around his middle, and Travis carried her, standing in the middle of the dance floor, Jason Mraz singing to them through the speakers, their mouths moving at a moderate rate, not too slow, but not fast and steamy. It was a perfect kiss, Maddie realized.

_This was what it would have felt like if I were to have let him kiss me all those months ago,_ she thought, remembering the day she'd invited Travis over and he'd almost kissed her. He'd wanted to kiss her, but she didn't want to cheat on Claude. Now she didn't care. She wasn't attached to Claude any longer. She had to power to do what she wanted—with _whoever_ she wanted.

The song was ending, and, coincidentally, so was their kiss. Travis pulled away from her, but let their foreheads still press against each other.

"The wait was so worth it," he whispered, mimicking the last few words of the song, but meaning them.

Maddie bit her bottom lip and smiled, tightened her arms around his neck.

_Who would have thought, _Maddie thought to herself, _that I'd end up kissing Travis Mitchell … and _liking _it? Hell, _I_ surely didn't think so._ She mentally laughed to herself, happy that through all of her hard troubles, goodness finally found its way to her.

_No_, she argued. _It's been in front of me the entire time. I just didn't know it._

* * *

Maddie looked at herself in the mirror, smoothing out the skirt of her pastel yellow dress. It was a really cute dress, Maddie thought, and it looked excellent on her. It was also over one hundred dollars. Maddie still couldn't believe she'd let Travis talk her into letting him buy it for her. It was a ridiculous amount of money for just a short yellow dress. Sure a chiffon skirt with a satin strapless torso, and yeah, there were jewels embedded along the waistline, but it was still overly priced. However, while shopping with Travis Mitchell, nothing was overpriced.

She pressed her legs together and stood up straight, her height taller than usual. This was because of the beautiful, silver, strappy, stiletto Jimmy Choos Travis had insisted getting her, in addition to her dress. These she strongly protested on, as they were way more expensive than shoes should really be—after all, they cost more than her dress did! He told her not to worry about any expenses—his father _and_ his uncle owned excessive amounts of land all around the city, therefore price wasn't an issue, but it was to Maddie. She wasn't used to these expensive clothes and shoes. She wasn't used to shopping at designer stores. Maddie came from a terribly poor family. Her uncle was mixing with slightly above average society, only because he was getting good money at the clubs he was performing at.

"Travis, what if we don't even want to be with each other anymore and you're spending around five hundred dollars on a dress and shoes alone?" Maddie asked when she came out of the dressing room wearing the yellow dress. Travis shook his head and sighed, placing his hands on her hips.

"Then it'll be a nice gift from when we were happy together. Seriously, Maddie, it's not that big of a deal. If you were shopping with my _mom_, you'd be spending way more than five hundred dollars, trust me," he chuckled. Maddie pressed her lips together, forcing a smile. The expenses still made her edgy, but she told herself to not worry about it, like he said. If she worried about it too much, then she wouldn't have fun with Travis.

"Okay, fine," she sighed in defeat. "But you don't need to buy any jewelry or any of that. The rest I can do on my own. I can do my own hair and give myself my own mani-pedi, okay?" Travis's eyebrows narrowed. Obviously he'd intended on taking her to get both her hair and nails done.

"It's a special night, though," he pressed. "Don't you want to feel really nice and elegant and dressed up?"

"Travis, I'm wearing _Jimmy Choos_ and a Jovani dress. I'm considering myself nice, elegant, and dressed up as we speak," she chuckled. "And besides, I want to be myself that night. Jimmy Choo stilettos? Those aren't me. They're beautiful, but they aren't me.

"However," she continued before Travis could say any more, "I'm going to wear them. I mean, I can't let those shoes go to waste." The two smiled and laughed.

"Okay then," he finally agreed before pressing his lips to her forehead. "You win. No hair or nails. You'll look beautiful no matter what you do."

"I still can't believe that's Travis Mitchell in their saying that. I mean, you could be an alien who's fallen in love with me, taking the form of the baseball boob Travis Mitchell, and saying all those nice things."

Travis rolled his eyes. "Okay. _Way_ too active imagination in there," he said, gently rubbing the top of her head with his knuckles. "Besides, haven't we already gone over this a million times already? I've changed—well, I've finally come out with my feelings, I guess is the way to put it."

"No, you've changed too. I mean, you're not overly egotistic anymore, nor do you think you're the hottest guy to ever walk the planet," Maddie said. Travis playfully arched an eyebrow and smirked.

"Well, I am kind of considered a god around these parts of town," he joked, popping the collar of his short-sleeved button-down shirt. Maddie gave him a deadpan expression.

"The minute you buy this dress, I'm burning it," she said.

"Relax, monster. I'm _kidding_." He pressed her body against his, placing his hands on the small of her back. "Besides, you'll have nothing to wear at the dance. Like you said, it's supposed to be a special night."

Maddie smiled and placed her head on his chest, hugging his middle tightly. "I already know it will be special," she murmured, "because I'll be spending it with you."

The sound of the doorbell buzzing broke her free from her thoughts.

"Maddie! It's for you!" cried Melinda. She heard a mixture of exchanged words faintly through the thin walls of the apartment complex.

Maddie turned back to the mirror and fixed her make-up, outlining her eyes in thin eyeliner and light eye shadow. Her eyelashes were long and brushed against her cheeks, which were gently pounded with pink blush that illuminated her sun-kissed skin. Her long black hair was curled and pinned into an up-do, courtesy of her mother. She'd placed a small white daisy in her hair to match the dress.

She turned and grabbed her tote bag, despite its worn and faded appeal. It was definitely not elegant and didn't match her at all, but it was all she had.

Travis was waiting for her in the family room, as were her mother and sister. Her mother beamed at her, claiming she would be the most beautiful girl at the dance. Maddie chuckled and softly disagreed with her, shaking her head. Travis then walked up to her, his hands behind his back. He was dressed in a sleek black suit that molded around his body handsomely, a matching pastel yellow tie draped around his neck. His hair was combed, but his bangs were still in place.

"You're stunning," he whispered to her, bringing his hands around from behind. He'd been holding a plastic box, and inside was a beautiful yellow and white corsage. Her mother beamed yet again.

"You and your expensive stuff are going to give my mother a heart attack," Maddie said softly so her mother wouldn't hear. Travis laughed and took the corsage out of the box, slipping it onto her wrist. Maddie outstretched her arm and stared at it, mesmerized. It was an abundance of small yellow and white orchids, lace and satin ribbons strewn into the mixture.

"Wow, Travis … it's beautiful," she said, breathlessly. He smirked.

"But it's not as beautiful as you." He pulled out the matching boutonniere from the same box and handed it to her. "Now it's your turn."

Maddie took the boutonniere—one yellow and one white orchid with entwined stems—and pinned it to the flap of his blazer.

"Now hold on!" Lucy exclaimed excitedly. "I need to take pictures."

"Mom, it's not even senior prom," Maddie said, exasperatedly.

"I don't care. It's still a special night."

"It's alright, Ms. Torrent. Pictures would be great," Travis said. She flashed him a smile before shooting Maddie an _I told you so_ look. Maddie rolled her eyes.

"You shouldn't have agreed," she muttered. "Now we'll never get to the dance."

Her mother arrived with her camera before Travis could reply.

"Okay, get together," she instructed. Travis and Maddie did as instructed, wrapping their arms around each other from behind. "Good, good," Lucy mused. "Okay, now. Get ready. One … two … three!"

She took a couple of pictures in that pose before making them change. At about their fourth pose, Maddie had had enough.

"Okay, Mom," she sighed. "We really need to go."

"Oh alright," her mother said. She smiled at her daughter, really looking her over. "You do look wonderful, though. You both do. Thank you so much for her dress and shoes, Travis."

"It was really not a problem at all," he said modestly.

"Really, though," her mother pressed. "Thank you for everything."

Maddie knew what she really meant. Her mother knew about Claude's behavior and how Maddie felt afterwards, how afraid and scarred she'd been. Lucy saw how Travis had brought her back to happiness, though she also knew how much they used to despise each other.

Travis smiled widely at her and nodded. Maddie kissed her mother goodbye and the two left the building. He walked her out to the side of the street where a nice shiny black stretch limo sat waiting for them.

_"You rented a limo?"_ Maddie asked in disbelief.

"It wasn't just for you; I wanted to have fun too," Travis laughed. Maddie shot him a deadpan expression.

"Oh, okay!" she exclaimed sarcastically. Travis tilted his head back and laughed full heartedly.

"Come on, baby. Let's go dancing," he said, escorting her to the limo. She shook her head.

"You know, you look like a bumblebee," she said suddenly, eyeing his yellow tie against the black suit. Travis's eyebrows knitted together in puzzlement before he understood what she was talking about.

"That's because you're my honey," he replied coyly. Maddie widened her eyes in horror.

"Oh _God_! You are making me regret wearing yellow!" Again, Travis bellowed in laughter, but, soon Maddie smiled and joined him as they climbed into the limo. They were going to have the time of their lives, and she knew it. No Claude. Just Travis, the baseball boob.


	44. Chapter 44

**_Vampire Kisses fanfiction  
PLASTIC PROMISES  
_Claude Sterling/OC: Madeline Torrent  
**

* * *

**Chapter 44.**

* * *

The setting sun created an orange-pink leak into the deep purple-blue nighttime sky. The ocean was given this same effect, the glimmering water shining beautifully with the purple sky and orange sung reflecting. The waves were calm and the beach was practically empty, save for a party on the far end of the shore that was just starting a bonfire.

Travis lay back on his elbows, stretched out on a colorfully striped beach towel. An umbrella was stuck deep and secure into the sand and was open, despite the darkness the sky was taking. A cooler and an extra towel lay beside him, an iHome perched on top of the cooler, Maddie's iPod softly playing a calming alternative rock song. He was bare-chested, wearing nothing but a pair of navy blue swimming trunks, his blonde hair tousled and spiked in all sorts of directions from the water from the ocean.

He could think of no better way than to spend the first day of summer vacation at the beach with his new girlfriend, watching her dance on the seashore, her body glistening from the water he'd splashed on her. They'd come with a group of friends, and the beach had been extremely crowded—after all, it was the first day of summer break. But when evening hit, their friends had decided to pack up and head home, along with many of the other beachgoers, however this only served a more romantic favor for him and Maddie.

His baby blue eyes were glued to her graceful figure, transfixed on every move her legs or her body took him. She had a way of telling a type of story through her dance, whether it be the story the song told through the lyrics, or her own tale, which was told through the movements of her body. He'd never met a more talented girl. How was it that somebody could allure someone in without having to do anything dirty or provocative? Sure Maddie was sexy, and she was definitely sexy when she danced, but Travis knew this wasn't her motive. She intended her movements to be meaningful.

Her body became more of a silhouette the further the sun lowered, making her sun-kissed skin appear orange every time she turned towards the sun. Her shapely body was strewn in nothing but a white string bikini that was dotted with yellow polka-dots, which made Travis think of that cute little rhyme of the eensy-weensy yellow polka-dot bikini. Her long black hair was tied up into a high ponytail that whipped around every time she turned. He'd noticed a glittering diamond poking out from the lower part of her navel. Of course, this shouldn't have surprised him, as he knew by the look of Maddie's massively adorned ears that she was a piercings type of girl.

A little while later, she stopped dancing and walked back up the beach, the sand threading through her toes, which were coated in a metallic purple color. She smiled at him, her chest heaving as she caught her breath. After all, she'd been dancing for some time now, and he'd enjoyed every moment of it.

"Enjoy the show?" she chuckled, kneeling down beside him. He reached up and gently fondled the tufts of hair on the nape of her neck that she failed to collect in her ponytail.

"You never cease to amaze me with your talent," he murmured. He stared into her large, beautiful, dark sapphire eyes, his eyes tracing down to the molds of her perfect, plump, pink lips. Maddie didn't have to be psychic to know what he wanted now.

She smiled widely and lowered her eyelids, enough to let her long lashes brush the tops of her cheeks, and slowly pressed her lips against his. She fell on all fours so as to lower her head, and Travis leaned up a little to press his lips back into her own. They kissed passionately, and as they did, Train began to serenade to them. Travis thought the song playing, "Breakfast in Bed," suited their mood perfectly, at least it did for him. He was a guy, and he dreamed of seeing Maddie in a bikini, sometimes even less than that.

His hands ran down her back as Maddie shifted her knees so that she hovered directly above him, her knees on either side of his body. Travis sat up, and she fell into his lap, her hands grasping onto his shoulders as his cupped the sides of her waist, never parting from the other's lips. He caressed the bare skin of her lower back, and he heard a very faint moan echo inside her mouth, bringing a smile to his lips.

Suddenly, he tilted back and brought Maddie on top of him. He grinned mischievously as she gasped from the sudden motion, but they shortly after collided with the other's lips and continued their lip lock. Travis's large hands trailed down from her lower back, caressing her rear and fondling the hems of her bathing suit bottom, cunningly slipping a couple of fingers inside to connect with her skin. Maddie let out another sigh, a louder one, and picked up the pace of her kissing. Travis thoroughly enjoyed her decision and easily kept up with her speed. His hands left her bathing suit and run up and down the backs of her thighs.

It was only when Maddie knotted her fingers through his wet hair, tugging it gently that Travis wanted something more.

His adventurous hands left the territory behind her thighs and ventured back up towards her back, grazing the buds of his fingertips along her spine, until he reached the knot of here bikini top. The thin strings were cold and wet and vulnerable—one easy pull and the top would fly open, exposing herself to him. He needed her consent first. He wouldn't jump into things so quickly, like how he'd done before—before she'd broken up with Claude—back when she'd invited him to her empty house.

He shook the disastrous memory from his mind. Things were different between them. Things like this were okay now. Maddie didn't have to worry about being loyal to anyone while around Travis, because _he_ was the one she promised herself to be loyal to. He could seduce her, tease her, act perverted in front of her whenever he wanted. It was perfect. He could touch her now, kiss her, fully absorb her. It was everything he'd dreamed of since he was that nine-year-old third grader when he'd first set eyes on her, the poorly dressed girl with the wild black hair.

His fingers fondled the knot, and he felt hesitation in Maddie's kiss. Perhaps she wasn't ready yet. But after a brief pause, she continued the kiss, giving him the okay to untie her top.

He pulled the strings slowly, the knot on her back coming undone, and Maddie's moaned quietly. Travis's tongue coyly approached the entrance of her mouth, grazing the tip along her teeth. She opened her mouth fully to him, allowing him inside. At that moment, the bottom knot of her bikini top came undone and her breasts were exposed. He fought the urge to take a peek, as he still had the knot at her neck to undo as well. He wanted the full effect.

His fingers traveled up her spine and caressed the nape of her neck. He pulled the strings that formed the top knot and slowly that came undo as well, the top falling on his chest. It was then that he pulled apart from her. Her eyelids were slightly lowered seductively, her lips just a bit swollen from Travis sucking on them.

His breath was taken away when he looked at her. He'd seen naked women on the internet and in magazines, and even though they were far more developed than Maddie was, none were as real as she. Maddie was luminous and glittering, her toned smooth skin naked of any clothing, despite the bikini bottoms. He dropped a hand and cupped her side, slowly smoothing her skin in an upward direction. He grazed the side his thumb just underneath one of her breasts, and Maddie closed her eyes, suppressing a shudder.

"You're beautiful," he murmured.

"Compared to all of the porn you've seen? You'd be lying if you said you've never seen any other naked women," Maddie added, opening her eyes and narrowing her eyebrows, but Travis grinned and shook his head, looking into her eyes.

"I won't lie to you," he said, "but compared to them, you are the most real, most beautiful woman I've ever seen, in all ways."

Her lips formed a small smile and she ran her fingers through his hair.

"Will I be the only one undressing on the beach tonight?" she inquired. Travis grinned wickedly. If Maddie was ready, then he was too.

"Well, getting naked on the beach doesn't sound like too bad an idea," he replied slyly, and he crashed his lips into hers, their bodies moving together, their hands roaming their bodies. Travis didn't wait to take off the remainder of Maddie's bathing suit, and Maddie anxiously tugged off Travis's swimming trunks. They were alone for miles on the shore, and Travis couldn't think of a more romantic way to spend with his one true love, finally consummating what he felt for half of his life. The sun was setting, the water glistened before them, and serenading alternative rock music played in the background. He was sharing the evening with the most beautiful girl on the planet. It was perfect.

They made love on the beach, and Travis had never felt more alive. Out of all of the girlfriends he had, had kissed, had touched … all of them put together still could not sum up the time he was having with Maddie. It was exhilarating, ecstatic, energetic. Hot, steamy, and wild, yet totally romantic. They both knew what they were getting into, and they were fine with it.

The sun settled and, a few hours later, Travis and Maddie were cuddled together under a fleece blanket from Travis's home. They'd just finished making love and were tired and satisfied. The sounds of the waves and the soft music from Maddie's iPod soothed Travis, along with the heavy breathing from Maddie, who's palms were pressed against his chest underneath her head, listening to his heartbeat.

"Who would have thought that I would have lost my virginity to Travis Mitchell?" Maddie said with a chuckle. Travis's arm around her naked waist squeezed gently as he smiled.

"You didn't think any of this would happen. You didn't think we'd ever become friends, that we'd go to prom together, that we'd end up dating … I'm pretty sure having sex was on the last thing on that list," he said. Maddie laughed and shook her head.

"It really was," she said honestly. "But all of this was so perfect. You were right all along. _This_ is how it should be. Not me and Claude. You and me. _We_ were meant to be, weren't we?" Her eyes went from the crashing waves to up at his eyes. They were wide and dark, but he could see the blueness in them, like an ocean floor. He smiled and pressed his lips against her forehead.

"It feels like it," he agreed, and he felt Maddie snuggle closer to him, moving her body into his lap. Travis fixed the blanket around them, as they still hadn't replaced their swim suits. He didn't want the moment to end, and he felt dressing into their clothes would end the night for them.

He sighed and brushed Maddie's bangs out of her face. Her hair was loose, as Travis had pulled out the hair tie while making love to her. He'd wanted to run his fingers through her hair, as she had done to him. Not too much later, Maddie's eyelids began to slowly fall and the moon sat high above them, shedding its white light onto the white beach. The romance never ended, and as Travis absorbed the presence of his beautiful girl, he never noticed the leering eyes from a small abundance of trees nearby, watching them the entire night with malice, the pierced lips forming an utterly repulsed snarl.


End file.
